


Incorrigible Infatuation

by tetsuyacchi



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Canon Rewrite, Canon-Typical Violence, Chairman Election Arc (Hunter X Hunter), Chimera Ant Arc, Dark Continent Arc, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Greed Island Arc, Hunter Exam (Hunter X Hunter), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Chimera Ant Arc, Romance, Sexual Content, Sibling Incest, Twincest, Zoldyck Family Arc, please stick with me this will be a loooong one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 73,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24769534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tetsuyacchi/pseuds/tetsuyacchi
Summary: Despite being sheltered upon Kukuroo mountain, Nallui had been on enough missions to know how sibling relationships were supposed to be. Especially twins. She knew it wasn't normal to be so close to someone you were born with and that to be so intimately entwined with them was unhealthy and unnatural. But the Zoldycks had never been normal.
Relationships: Hisoka & Original Female Character, Illumi Zoldyck/Original Character(s), Illumi Zoldyck/Original Female Character(s), Killua Zoldyck & Original Character(s), Killua Zoldyck & Original Female Character(s), Original Female Character & Everyone
Comments: 143
Kudos: 295





	1. the heir disappears

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Before reading this story, please understand that it includes canonical violence and sibling incest regarding the main character. Please do not read if you are uncomfortable with any of these. I do not appreciate hateful comments, so please just turn back now if you are against reading it. Thank you.
> 
> I just want to make it clear that there aren't any untoward feelings regarding Killua or anybody underage in this fic. I only wanted to focus on an older HxH character, as they are always much more messed up and twisted (Illumi and Hisoka, for example.) Nallui's obsession with Killua comes from a sense of duty (her parents would have stamped it into their heads to protect the heir), love (Nallui loves all her siblings passionately) and genuine envy of her mother's ability to have so many children (a plot point that will be addressed later on.

"Father! My baby is growing up so fast, Mommy is so proud!"

"Miss, try to stay still while I bandage your wounds. Please, we must do this before it becomes infected."

"My precious baby makes me so proud, as always! What a wonderful man he's becoming!"

Sitting silently within all of the chaos of their home, a small smirk curved on plump lips as dark eyes surveyed the panicked bodies around her. She sat sipping on her tea calmly while her mother screamed joyfully as the butlers tried bandaging her bleeding face, her younger brother whining on the floor despite his injuries already being dealt with.

"Nallu," a monotone voice spoke right beside her ear, the owner seemingly appearing from thin air.

The girl turned her face to be greeted with the blank stare of her brother, identical eyes staring at one another from their close range. They were so close that their noses were close to touching, and she could feel his light breath against her lips. She gave him an innocent expression, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Illu, can I help you?"

Illumi stared back at his sister with unblinking eyes, their colouring giving off an eerie vibe as no pupil was visible, only a bottomless black. Nallui wasn't the least bit intimidated and only stared back with equally blank eyes.

"You knew Killu was planning on escaping, didn't you?" he asked, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

Nallui blinked once at the accusation, not giving anything away on her face. "Did I? How did you reason that?"

"Killu trusts you," Illumi stated. "You do not seem worried about his sudden disappearance," he added.

From that perspective, it did seem rather suspicious on her part. Nallui was rather taken with her younger brother, and while others would call her obsessive, she liked to think it was a healthy dose of sisterly care. She leant in closer, their noses bumping against one another as she stared with the most innocence she could, something rather difficult when her brother knew just how little innocence she truly had left.

"Killu can take care of himself. We taught him that, did we not? Besides, don't you trust me, oni-chan? You know I would rather kill myself than let anything happen to him."

Illumi seemed placated by her statement, recognising the truth to her words. It wasn't a secret just how possessive they both were of their younger brother, both finding a sense of obsessive need to keep constant attention to him.

"And when exactly can we expect him back?" Illumi asked quietly.

Nallui rose a single thin brow in response and Illumi understood. Nallui didn't know. Either that or she wasn't willing to say.

Illumi's hand rose to hold a thin strand of silver-white hair between his fingers, the colouring a stark contrast to his own. The rest of her hair fell in a straight sheen to her waist. Despite being twins, Nallui and Illumi were like yin and yang, at least in terms of their colourings. Their facial structures were practically identical – both having wide dark eyes that could frighten anyone at their blankness – yet Nallui had been gifted with their father's light hair, something she knew would have gifted her the opportunity to become the next Zoldyck heir had Killua not been born.

 _Women had no place being the heir to the family._ Not that Nallui minded. She didn't think there could ever be a better-suited heir than her precious Killu. Nallui didn't care for the symbolism her colouring gave her in terms of the family's dynamics, she only had eyes for the connection it naturally gave her with her little brother.

Illumi stared at the hair intensely, curling the silky lock around a digit before letting it slip through his fingers, cupping a cold hand to her cheek. He brought his mouth close to her ear to whisper lowly.

"Our perfect family cannot happen if one is missing."

His breath sent a delightful shiver down her spine and she moved her face to the side, feeling those cold lips against her cheek. She copied his actions, tucking the pin-straight black hair behind his ear and moving close, her lips kissing his ear. "I let him go because he wanted to. I will never deny him anything. A mother doesn't deny their children, Illu."

A mother and a son. Nallui didn't want another brother in their dysfunctional family. She wanted a son, and she was adamant on creating their perfect family which was only reserved for herself, her twin and their siblings. With Killua at the centre of it as their head. The true Zoldyck heir.

She couldn't be more proud.

And after all, is it not rational that Nallui would think of Killu as more her child than their mothers? Was it not obvious that she was meant to feel this way when their appearance was so strikingly similar? It was clear just how much Killua took after herself rather than Kikyo. Nallui only felt it natural.

"Would you deny me, Illu? Would you see our family in tatters before it can truly begin?"

Illumi cupped her face tighter, his fingers digging into her jaw with hidden strength. "I cannot deny you anything. You know that. I'm creating this family _for you_ , aren't I?"

Nallui let out a smile at his words, ignoring his blank expression and pressing a kiss to his cheek. A thank-you.

"Let our cute little brother have this new sense of freedom. You know mother and father will order his return before long."

"I am to take the hunter exam. For my next mission."

At his words, Nallui stilled. Her encounter with her younger brother not hours ago running through her mind at his words. Killua's words about his intentions after his escape at the forefront of her mind.

The Hunters Exam.

" _Where do you plan to go, Killu? I'll let you have this freedom but you know I can't let you go if I'm not sure you're safe."_

_A moment of silence._

" _You know you'll have to come home eventually, right?"_

_A sigh._

" _I know. Can't I just have a little time to enjoy myself? Act normal for once?"_

" _If it's what you wish then you know I'll give it to you. Anything you want I'll give you."_

_A pause. Hopeful eyes looking up at her._

" _Can you keep a secret?"_

_A nod._

" _I'm going to take the Hunter's Exam."_

"Ah," she muttered, bringing a finger to her chin in thought. "I suppose I will join you."

"Any reason why?" Illumi asked dryly, though she sensed a hint of sarcasm dripping from his words.

Nallui smiled benignly at her brother, stroking a finger across his pale cheek. "Do you have no trust for me, Illu? Can you not indulge your dear imouto in her whims?"

"Zoldyck's do not have whims."

"This Zoldyck does."

The twins stared at one another, both understanding the other well enough to know this game they played far too often. Illumi knew Nallui wasn't being truthful while she knew her brother was smart enough to figure that out.

"You will go disguised." His words came out as a demand despite the monotone and Nallui knew arguing this point wasn't worth the effort. Her brother was controlling and had his ways to stop her from going if he truly wished it. She conceded.

"Fine. When do you leave?"

"In two days."

She hummed. That would give her enough time to construct what outfit she'd wear to disguise herself. She knew if her little brother was there she had to ensure he wouldn't recognise her before it was the right time. She'd let him have this small freedom. He needed to experience this if he were to truly become the next head of their family.

Illumi's eyes scanned her face, running across high cheekbones and wide, dark eyes. An identical face stared back at him, the only difference her softer cheeks and long eyelashes. The striking silver hair that tumbled down her back. A single finger ran under her eye, causing her lashes to flutter. She looked at him questioningly at his actions.

"You will stay with me during the exam. You will not leave."

"Why do you speak like I wish to leave? Have I ever given you a reason to believe I desire being anywhere but at your side?"

"You should only be at my side."

"And I am. Always."

Illumi's eyes flashed with a mixture of satisfaction and desire, so briefly she barely caught it. Nallui knew her brother just as much, if not better, than herself. She could recognise objectively that their relationship was twisted. Despite being sheltered upon Kukuroo mountain, Nallui had been on enough missions to know how sibling relationships were supposed to be. Especially twins. She knew it wasn't normal to be so close to someone you were born with and that to be so intimately entwined with them was unhealthy and unnatural.

But the Zoldycks had never been normal. They were a family of assassins, trained from birth to be nothing more than killing machines. What was an unusual relationship between siblings compared to the blood that covered their hands? Their family consisted of the most unhealthy of relationships no matter which two people you picked and so Nallui ignored the voice in the back of her head that whispered of corrupted affairs and obsessive love.

They were family. That's all Nallui had ever wanted, a family. She refused to accept parents that were willing to torture their own children and a pathetic excuse for a mother that was good for nothing but screaming her delusions beside a distant father. Nallui had plans to create her own family, with herself and her brother at the top. Once her little Killu came home and finally took the position as head, their perfect family could finally begin. A family with only herself and her siblings. Nallui would convince the stubborn Milluki that there was no need for their mother in their new family, and she knew Kalluto wouldn't mind so much – especially when reassured by his doting older sister.

Alluka could finally be released from her prison. Another mark on the list of wrongs their parents had committed. Nallui would welcome her little sister into their perfect family, despite her fear of Nanika. It was a fear brought by ignorance, she knew, not having spent much time with the being that had latched itself onto her little sister. Too busy with a mission that had lasted a couple of years to have truly bonded with the entity. Despite that, Nallui would learn to bond with Nanika if it meant Alluka felt part of their family. Nallui was the perfect mother like that. She knew what her children wanted and had no reservations giving them it. Even if her brother was adamant on refuting their sister's place as family, Nallui was prepared to force him to accept it.

Nallui stared at Illumi, who had now turned away to face their crying mother and a whining Milluki. The boy continued pouting to their mother in hopes of some attention. It was a pitiful sight not deserving of the Zoldyck name, but Nallui could forgive the boy for craving something so rarely given. She would give the boy the attention he wanted once it was time. She would make up for all these years of neglect. Illumi was stone-faced at the sight, not a shred of care for their plight.

Nallui moved forward to press a kiss against her brother's pale cheek, lips lingering at the loving action. "I'll go and prepare. I'll come to your room when I'm done," she murmured quietly before standing to move away.

Her lithe form moved gracefully from her seat and toward the door, blatantly ignoring the miserable sound of her brother's incessant complaints and the shouts of her mother calling her name. The click of heels was all she focused on as she exited the room, a content smile at her lips with the thought of seeing her precious Killua so soon.


	2. phase one

Nallui knew the instant her brother entered the underground room, if not for the obnoxious clacking of his body moving in eerie jolting movements then for the simple fact that there were pins sticking out of every pore of his face.

She would recognise that aura anywhere and she savoured the spike of pleasure it sent down her spine as he slowly moved closer. She eyed his badge once he was stood beside her and raised a brow at the number it displayed.

"Took you long enough," she said looking at the '301' on his chest.

"There were tasks that needed my attention beforehand." His synthetic voice sounded weird to her ears and she frowned behind her mask, not liking it and wanting to hear her brothers soothing monotone once again. Though, she supposed she'd have to get used to not seeing Illumi's usual appearance for the remainder of this exam, just like she'd taken to disguising herself per his request. Her own voice had been changed as well as a precaution, her usual smooth melody becoming more child-like and high pitched.

Nallui's face was covered by a kitsune mask, the bright red accents a stark contrast against the bone-white china. Black hair had been parted into two low, thin plaits that hung to her lower back, her usual silver locks disguised by one of her brother's needles which was embedded in the back of her neck. Her body was adorned in a traditional red hakama with a white kimono tucked in at the waist. Bandages wrapped around every open part of her skin; her arms and legs, and even her neck, wrapped in the white gauze, leaving only the illusion of stark white skin from afar.

She had chosen her disguise with intent, knowing her precious Killua had never seen her in such traditional attire, her normal tight and revealing wardrobe leaving little to the imagination and as such he was unlikely to guess at her true identity. Of course, her bandages served another purpose, but Nallui wasn't sure she'd need her particular talents with such mediocre challengers in the exam.

Illumi – or as he introduced himself as Gittarackur – peered down at her chest, where a badge displaying the number '88' sat.

"You arrived early."

Nallui hummed lightly as her reply, eyes surveying the room in no particular order, though her stare focused a few seconds longer on the shock of silver-white hair at the far end of the room. Her darling little brother was guzzling down a can of drink with a bored expression on his face, though she noticed his eyes scanning the room subtly, an action so fitting for an assassin that Nallui felt a thrill go down her spine at the evidence of her brother's natural aptitude showing.

"Killu is here."

"Oh? Figured it out so soon?" she tried for innocence but the narrowing of his eyes gave his displeasure away.

"You knew."

"Throwing out accusations already, oni-chan?"

"He told you. You didn't stop him." His words weren't a question but a statement, and one she couldn't refute.

"You know how weak I am for his big blue eyes. How could I say no when our dear otouto asked so sweetly, hm?"

"You are soft with him. He has to learn."

She waved her hand dismissively at his reprimanding tone, uncaring of such boring lectures once again. She knew she was much too soft on Killua, but she honestly couldn't refuse the boy anything. He could ask for her still-beating heart and Nallui would reach inside with her sharpened nails and gift it to him, still bloody. In comparison, what was a little short-lived freedom? Her sweet brother would get to have his fun and soon enough he'd come home once he got bored of a life with no direction.

"Let him have this sense of freedom," she reprimanded quietly, the blank eyes of her mask disguising her imploring stare toward the smaller white-haired boy. "Besides…" Nallui moved to wrap her arms around Illumi's thin waist, her hands creeping underneath the oversized cropped jacket teasingly. "I want to see how he'll do alone. I want to see his bloodlust without prompt. Don't you want to see it too, ni-chan? Will you deny me this treat?"

Illumi's body was tense and his eyes – though sat within a completely foreign face, those blank eyes were always _his_ – looked down at her with intensity. "He will come home at the end of this," he reminded her.

She nodded along, understanding all too well that her little brother's freedom had a time limit. Illumi seemed happy with her understanding and strong arms moved to pull her toward his chest, where they caged her in. He lowered his voice so that only they – and possibly the magician that stood not too far from them – could hear.

"You know I cannot deny you anything." His voice still lacked its usual smooth lull but Nallui had already started to accustom herself to Gittarackur's jolting rhythm of speech.

She turned her head to face him, an effort in itself for one of Illumi's needles was also inserted into her lower spine to alter her height, making her almost a foot shorter than usual. She pouted behind her mask and jumped gracefully to wrap her legs around his waist, bringing them face to face. Carefully, so as not to reveal herself too early, Nallui lifted only the bottom half of her mask and leant close to his ear, whispering so only they could hear.

"You never disappoint, Illu-ni." She pressed a light kiss to his cheek between two of the needles that stuck out of his skin before pulling her mask back down. She glanced to those around them, ignoring the awkward glances they were getting, the other participants clearly discomforted by the blatant show of affection by such an odd-looking couple. Especially for those who had heard her term of affection for her brother, likely finding their intimate position a tad scandalous.

Nallui jumped down from her brother's arms and patted down her hakama for non-existent wrinkles. As one, everybody in the room turned as more people entered the room. She'd been ignoring the latest entrances but her gaze was pulled toward the door as she heard a young voice.

A man wearing small spectacles and holding a briefcase over his shoulder casually walked in first, his blue suit accentuating his tall, lithe figure. His eyes narrowed as he took in the atmosphere within the dimly lit room, especially at the aura the multitude of participants seemed to emit. Beside him stood a shorter blonde male, with delicate features but a clenched jaw that gave away his fierce determination and confidence. His eyes were scanning the room too, a calculating gaze that was searching for any useful information.

What drew Nallui's gaze however was the smallest of their group. A young boy who looked no older than twelve was looking at those gathered within the room with wide, brown eyes. His hair was dark and spiked wildly and his small figure adorned in an all-green two-piece that consisted of high-waisted shorts and a cropped jacket. The boy radiated innocence – or naivety – and Nallui instantly felt her dormant motherly instincts rise to the surface with a flourish. Her hands twitched from beside her and it was only Illumi's heavy look that stopped her from rushing over to gaze at the boy closer.

She hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder if otouto will find a new friend? They seem to be the same age."

"He does not need friends."

Nallui pouted up at Illumi. "Don't be such a spoilsport."

His eyes narrowed at her tone and he spoke slowly, ensuring she understood his words clearly. "What need does he have of friends when he has us? It is an unnecessary distraction."

Nallui pouted even more, running a finger delicately across the chest of his jacket, poking one of the pins that stuck out from his body teasingly. "Distraction? Is that what you'd call me, _o-ni-chan?~_ "

Illumi grabbed a hold of her finger, bending the appendage backwards just enough so it hurt. "We are family. Family are not distractions. We do not need anybody else. _You_ do not need anybody else but _me_."

Her lips curled from underneath her mask and she let out a cheerful giggle at his stern words. "You really know just what to say to a woman, don't you?"

He ignored her teasing and faced forward again and so she was forced to find entertainment elsewhere. She spied the small round man from before – _Tonpa_ , she recalled his name – walking up to the new arrivals to offer them a drink. He had done the same to her and everyone else so far. Nallui had known immediately that it was foul play, though she'd taken the drink to humour the man, curious to just what his game was. Upon drinking it she'd recognised the laxatives and had enjoyed his attempts at hiding his annoyance when she'd happily thanked him for the tasty beverage.

Nallui had felt a sudden all-consuming spike of rage when the little idiot had attempted tricking Killua into the same ruse, but she'd soon realised that her little brother was just as sneaky as her and had understood the attempted sabotage immediately all the same. She'd had to restrain herself from running over and enveloping him into a crushing hug at how coolly he'd handled the situation. _Her darling Killu was becoming such a man! Following in his brother's footsteps!_ Nallui could hardly contain herself.

She watched from behind her mask as the three took the cans naively and raised them to their mouths. She rose a brow when the youngest spat the drink out immediately afterwards, a disgusted grimace on his innocent face. "Oh my…looks like he's been found out," she murmured in amusement.

A few minutes later she saw Killua approach the man, calling out his name. She felt Illumi stiffen beneath her and they both watched the boy ask for more of the juice the man carried around. Guzzling it without abandon, Killua sighed in happiness before turning to face Tonpa with a serious expression that looked out of place on his innocent, youthful face. "There's no need to worry," he said in a rather deep voice. "I'm immune to poisons."

With that said, Killua walked off without a care, hands in his pockets and an innocent smile back on his face leaving Tonpa to stare blankly behind him.

Nallui tightened her grip on her brother's arm, practically vibrating in excitement, though she kept her voice low so only they could hear. "Did you see our little boy, Illu-ni? He looked so grown up! I can't believe how well he manages himself…ahh~ I'm such a proud big sister."

Illumi hummed noncommitting in his disguised synthetic voice, the sound disturbing those around them at its unnatural pitch. His head began moving again, clicking forebodingly as they both sensed the arrival of someone new. A bell rang throughout the room gaining everybody's attention and the oval stone archway began lifting upwards, revealing a thin man in a suit. He had slicked wavy hair that was styled in a middle-parting, the lilac strands framing a long face with a curled moustache.

"The entry period for Hunter applications has ended," he said in a deceptively calm voice. "The Hunter Exam will now begin!"

He went on to explain the risks of taking the exam, something Nallui zoned out of, finding it redundant when they'd clearly all signed up knowing exactly what they were in for. When nobody moved to leave, the mystery man swiftly turned around with a flourish and with one foot extended high in the air, began marching onwards with a robotic gait. Raising a brow at the man's rather awkward method of walking, Nallui snickered behind her mask before moving forward, joining in the rest of the group as they all began following behind him.

The man picked up speed, transitioning into a fast jog and the rest of the applicants followed suit, a few releasing surprised murmurs at the sudden change in pace. People exchanged confused eye contact before the man began speaking again without turning around, not slowing down one bit.

"I apologise for forgetting to introduce myself. I am Satotz, the examiner for Phase One."

Nallui hummed in realisation, a little disappointed that phase one would consist of simply endurance running. Her body slumped in a physical pout, already cursing whatever remaining time that would likely consist of running in this dimly lit underground hallway. "I'm already bored."

* * *

A couple of hours had passed by in a monotony of boredom and silence. Nallui had been trained to undergo the most tedious of tasks with blank patience but it seemed like being away from home and not being on a mission was allowing her more 'normal' emotions free range. Though she supposed she'd always been one of the more outgoing of the Zoldyck children. When compared to Illumi's apathy, Kalluto's passivity and Milluki's brattiness, Nallui truly had come out for the best. Killua was just the same, though he retained a sense of arrogance and naivety which Nallui couldn't fault, knowing that such emotions were only natural for someone his age. She was just glad he was actually experiencing a somewhat natural teenage phase, unlike herself and Illumi.

She'd strayed away from her brother at some point, having spotted Killua's silver hair and decided to monitor him closely. Illumi had sent her a warning glance, something she'd waved away carelessly. It was as though he thought she'd give away their cover so soon! Did he think she was stupid? Sure, she got a little excited when it came to her little brother but Nallui was a professional assassin, she knew how to keep a persona better than anybody.

She watched as he skated aimlessly, a bored pout on his face. Nallui could relate, knowing just how little patience Killua had, he'd likely regret taking the exam if he didn't find something to do soon. She held in her amusement when the man in a blue suit berated him for 'cheating', the blonde and boy wearing green refuting his claim, stating that there were no specific rules against not running.

When Killua kicked off his skateboard only to start running beside the little boy wearing green, Nallui had to bite her lip to stop the _coo_ from leaving her lips. Her darling brother was such a show-off! How funny. Her eyes moved toward the other boy, having heard him introduce himself as _Gon_.

After another hour of running, Nallui noticed a large stairway ascending steeply ahead, the rest of the examinees groaning in dismay as Satotz picked up the pace yet again, his feet jumping multiple steps at a time as though they weren't even there. Nallui let herself jump two steps at a time, a feat that would've been much easier if she weren't currently in such a smaller body _. Why did I have to become such a pipsqueak?_ She was hardly much bigger than her little brother.

The stairs became too much for some as they began dropping like flies, panting in exhaustion as they could only watch everybody else with defeated expressions. Nallui paid them no mind, gracefully jumping over them without effort. She saw the blonde from before just in front of her, he seemed to have removed the blue outer layer of his clothing and wore only the white jumpsuit underneath. The tall man beside him was topless, panting as he ran, though he wore a determined expression.

Just as she was about to pass them, Nallui's lightning-fast reflexes caught the blonde's arm as he almost tripped over a fallen contestant. The blonde looked up at her in shock before smiling gratefully, muttering a breathless thanks.

Nallui removed her arm once she was sure he was steady, waving away his thanks as she knew they couldn't see her face or smile. "Be careful. We wouldn't want that pretty face to bruise now, would we?"

Clearly flustered at her blatant flirting, the boy turned away as his cheeks burned red. The man next to him gaped at her shamelessness.

"Ah- thank you. I wasn't being careful enough," the blonde said sheepishly, the red on his cheeks settling into a dusting of pink.

Nallui smiled mischievous, grateful for once that her mask covered her expression. "Don't worry about it," she said lightly. "Though…you can thank me by telling me your name?"

Still trying to get past her rather forward introduction, the boy sent her a bashful smile. "I'm Kurapika. This is Leorio," he pointed towards the topless man beside him, the man sending her a tired wave.

Nallui waved one bandaged arm, a skip in her step as she continued jumping the stairs without an issue. "I'm _Zurui_ , pleased to meet you both." She even did a little bow while running, something that only showed how little effort the current task was for her.

"Do you not find the running tiring, Zurui-san?" Kurapika asked curiously, eyeing her thick hakama and kimono, paired with the restricting mask and bandages covering every inch of skin. It was clear that such an outfit would cause anybody else to sweat excessively and greatly hinder their movement, but Nallui wore it all as though a second skin, no hesitation in her run whatsoever.

"Hm? Not really, I'm honestly a little bored. Call me impatient but I was rather disappointed to realise we'd only be running for the first phase," she said lightly, uncaring of the bewildered stares she got from those around them shamelessly eavesdropping. "And just Zurui is fine."

"She sounds like that skateboarding brat," Leorio whispered from beside them, panting as the pace sped up once more.

Nallui knew he was referring to Killua and held in a laugh at his expense. If he thought Killua's current behaviour was irritating, then he was going to be sorely in for a shock once his true mischievous nature revealed itself. Though, whether he would stay within the exam for long enough was another question altogether.

"Have you taken the Hunter Exam before, Zurui? You seem very experienced," Kurapika asked innocently, though Nallui could sense the underlying dig for information beneath it. She mentally shrugged, knowing nothing could be gained from her answering when her entire persona was false.

"This is my first time. It'll be the only time I'll take this exam."

Leorio laughed at her blatant confidence. "A little overconfident, aren't you?"

She hummed nonchalantly, not rising to the bait. "True skill doesn't require overconfidence," she stated, causing Leorio's eyebrow to twitch in irritation.

"Tch, you remind me of the silver brat."

"Oh?" Nallui asked in faux interest. Tapping a bandaged finger to the chin of her mask. "And just who would this 'brat' be, exactly?"

Kurapika spoke up for him, Leorio too caught up in his mutterings about 'disrespectful brats' and 'cheating'. "He's a new friend of our friend, Gon. You might have seen them? Two young boys, one wearing green and the other carrying a skateboard."

Nallui raised a hand as though suddenly remembering. "Oh, I know! They passed not long ago, right? I believe they were having a race."

" _Hah_!? Damn brats and their stamina."

"That sounds like them," Kurapika said smiling.

Nallui looked ahead and spotted the light from outside. "Oh, looks like we're nearly there."

Leorio let out a whoop of joy, wiping away non-existent tears from his eyes while Kurapika sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, I was beginning to get tired."

They soon reached the top without difficulty and were greeted by a thick fog that obscured the view of their surroundings. Nallui stood silently as Kurapika and Leorio panted with those around them, catching their breaths. She eyed Illumi's disguised form standing beside the building at the back of the group and sent him a tiny wave, letting him know she planned on staying where she was.

Nallui followed both Kurapika and Leorio as they met up with Gon and Killua, letting out an excited giggle as she neared her oblivious little brother. Gon smiled as they came nearer, his eyebrows rising at the sight of the unexpected stranger. Killua watched her with narrow eyes. _Such natural mistrust to a stranger, how proud you make me Killu._

"You must be the brats I've been told so much about," Nallui said as an introduction, bending down to crouch beside the sitting boys. She tilted her head to the side much like an animal would, making the illusion of the fox on her mask seem real.

"Who you calling a brat?" Killua muttered sourly, eyes taking in her overall appearance.

"I'm Gon! Who are you? And what's your mask? It's so cool!"

"Oi, Gon, don't just go introducing yourself to any weirdo…" Killua whispered.

"Huh? But she looks cool, don't you think? Look! She even has bells too!" Gon pointed to the small golden bells that hung from red string on either side of her mask. Nallui chuckled at the boy's innocence, wondering just when exactly Killua's own childlike wonder had left him.

"I'm Zurui. Pleased to meet you, Gon. And you are?" she directed her question to Killua, head still tilted cutely.

Killua pouted and turned away, though a small mutter was heard rather reluctantly. "Killua."

Nallui hummed in appreciation, enjoying watching her cute little brother act so tough. "Nice to meet you, Killua. You have lovely hair."

Killua's cheeks reddened at her compliment and he refused to look her way. Gon laughed at his friend's embarrassment, raising his hand high in the air. "What about me, Zurui?"

"Well, you are very cute yourself," she commented, bopping a finger against the boy's nose. He laughed at her actions, swatting away her hand as the soft fabric of her bandages tickled his skin.

"The fog seems to be fading," Kurapika commented, looking around them with keen eyes.

Nallui stretched from her crouched position, standing to take a look at their surroundings herself. Satotz got everybody's attention again as he explained just exactly what they would be doing next.

"We must all cross these wetlands to reach the next phase of the exam. However, the land is home to plenty of bizarre animals, many of them being cunning and insatiable creatures that deceive humans only to prey upon them."

People began to shuffle anxiously at his warning, eyeing their misty surroundings in unease. Nallui stood still, watching the examiner talk, wondering if his mouth was just exceptionally small and hidden underneath his moustache or whether he had none at all. _What an odd man…_

Satotz turned to face them with serious eyes, regarding them sternly. "If you let them fool you…you're dead."

The door to the underground walkway they'd been running through moments before began to close, stopping those few stragglers left from exiting with a definitive bang. "These creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey." Satotz turned to face the wetlands ahead of them. "Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

Leorio let out a disbelieving scoff, "What a joke. As if we'd be so easily fooled. How can we when we're _expecting_ it?"

"Don't let them fool you!" a strangled voice cut through Leorio's rant, contradicting his previous words. He let out a 'tch' in contempt, turning with everybody else to face their newest arrival. It was a ragged looking man wearing a torn and dirty outfit that suited a rather plain contestant. He scowled at Satotz while warning everybody about his apparent deceit.

"He's an imposter! He isn't an examiner… _I'm_ the real examiner!"

"Hm?" Nallui tilted her head in amusement. Ignoring the nervous muffles of those around her she watched Satotz from the corner of her eye, gauging his blank reaction. Honestly, to attempt such a thing so soon after being told to not underestimate the creature's ability for deceit. _What are we? A bunch of twelve-year-olds?_

She glanced down at her brother and his friend, pursing her lips. _Well, some of us are._ Though they don't seem too taken in, either. She watched Killua's sceptical expression, eyebrows raised unimpressed at the rather pathetic attempt at deception.

The ragged man proceeded to drag out a hideous monkey creature that bore the face of Satotz, sharp fangs protruding out of its mouth. "It looks just like Satotz-san!" Gon exclaimed in shock.

Nallui looked at the boy who'd fallen for the ruse. She sighed. _Perhaps I could convince Killu to make different friends_. She glanced sideways at an animated Leorio. _Ones with more brains…_

Fed up with listening to the man's ramblings and the idiocy of the rest of her fellow contestants, Nallui decided to step in and get this entire thing moving forward. With a swiftness that surprised those around her, Nallui reached into her kimono and brought out a fan, opening it with a flick, she gracefully sent it flying toward the imposter, the edges of the fan cutting through his neck cleanly. Seconds later, a handful of playing cards were embedded within his chest, the impact of both attacks sending him landing to the ground, his head rolling a scant few metres aside.

The group stood in shock at the sudden display of ruthlessness, eyeing the two attackers with growing unease. Nallui stayed silent, letting the other say their bit. "I see, I see," a deceptively calm voice spoke from within the crowd, shuffling cards expertly.

He opened narrow golden eyes to stare across at Satotz who held the playing cards that had been sent his way between his fingers, a blank expression on his face. "So _you're_ the real one."

Satotz dropped the card uncaringly, staying silent at the revelation. The rest of the examinees were looking toward the magician in barely contained fear at such blatant violence, glancing toward Nallui as they remembered the fan that had decapitated the man so easily.

"Examiners are Hunters selected by the community to perform this duty without pay. Any worthy Hunter would have been able to block that attack," the magician commented with a sly smile.

"I will take that as a compliment," Satotz said with a calm tone. "However," he looked toward the magician with narrowed eyes. "Should you attack me again you will face immediate disqualification. Are we clear?"

" _Yes~_ "

"Can we move onto the next phase now, or are we going to wait around here playing games forever?" Nallui commented with a slight whine evident in her voice. The childish pitch of her disguised voice and the delicate outfit she wore only added to the creepiness of her previous actions.

Those around her turned quickly at remembering the actions she'd just committed, eyeing the decapitated body with growing sickness. Nallui saw the looks she was receiving and laid her bandaged arms out in front of her. "What?"

"I think they're a little shaken by your recent display of violence," Kurapika commented lowly from beside her, his eyes taking in her form with a new light.

"You don't say," Leorio muttered, eyeing Nallui like she'd do the same to him at any moment.

"I can assure you I won't hurt any of you, I was simply bored of this trivial game of guess who," she said lightly, walking over to the dead body and retrieving her fallen fan from the ground.

"Cool!" Gon's excited voice called out into the silence. Nallui turned toward him to see both his and Killua's wide eyes as they looked toward her fan. "How did your fan do that, Zurui?"

"It probably has razor-sharp edges," Killua commented thoughtfully, eyeing her weapon with barely hidden interest.

Nallui knew he recognised the style of weapon as it was something their little brother Kalluto preferred to use. After all, Nallui herself had taught the boy how to use such a weapon to his advantage.

"Want to see?" she asked offering the fan to the two boys.

Gon took the fan with an excited smile, whining in confusion when he saw it was a perfectly normal decorative fan, a stark white in colour with blooming cherry blossoms painted across it. It had been a present from Illumi and Nallui loved being able to finally use it. She took the weapon back from the boys who had been inspecting it closely for any hidden secrets, it was clearly soft on the edges and couldn't have given someone a paper cut, let alone beheaded a man.

Nallui brought a finger to where her mouth would be behind her mask. "It's a secret. Finish the exam and I'll tell you how."

Gon cheered agreeing to her terms immediately while Killua harrumphed but agreed nonetheless.

"You will be encountering such deception on a regular basis," Satotz brought the attention back to the present situation. Facing them all, he eyed them blankly. "I believe many of you were fooled into suspecting my identity from this ruse?"

A flock of vultures had descended onto the corpse and begun pecking away at the exposed neck, feeding generously from the body. "Do you understand?" Satotz asked. "If you lose sight of me in the fog you will never reach Phase Two of the exam. Then, let's be on our way."

He began running directly into the fog and everybody followed suit. Nallui was dismayed to realise they'd be running. _Again_.

"Is there nothing better the examiners could have come up with than running?" Leorio snarked, grunting at running again so soon. "I couldn't agree more," Nallui mumbled. "How boring."

"This whole exam has been boring so far," Killua griped, running casually with his hands in his pockets. Nallui moved closer to him, keeping pace with his jog.

"What would you find thrilling then, Killua-chan?"

Killua visibly recoiled at such an intimate term of endearment, face lighting up at how close she'd suddenly gotten. "D-Don't call me that!" he shouted. Nallui tilted her head sideways, "Why not?"

He glared at her with puffed up cheeks. "Because! We're not close!"

"Really?" she asked sadly. "I thought we were friends by now. You've hurt my feelings, Killua." Killua spluttered at her bluntness, turning to Gon with wide eyes.

Gon laughed at them both, pointing to Nallui. "Zurui! Do you enjoy teasing Killua?" Killua let out an ' _Eh!?_ ' but Nallui giggled behind a bandaged hand, her head tilting even more to the side to add effect. "I can't help it. He's much too cute."

Killua was practically steaming from embarrassment, looking between a laughing Gon and giggling Nallui with barely concealed frustration. "Enough! Stop teasing me or I'll kill you both!"

Nallui patted the boy's head, running soothing fingers through silvery-white hair. "Now, now. Don't be so bratty."

"Get off!" he shouted, swatting away her hand with a glare.

"Okay, okay~"

Kurapika was watching the affair with a smile and Leorio laughed at seeing the brat so flustered for once.

They continued jogging through the fog, eyes taking in their scenery as they passed when Kurapika turned to Nallui with curious eyes. "Zurui, if you don't mind me asking, why are you taking the Hunter Exam?" His question got the attention of the others and from the corner of her eye, Nallui could see Killua's barely hidden curiosity.

"I guess you could say I'm here to keep an eye on someone." Her words were cryptic and didn't give anything away but were the truth, nonetheless.

"Keep an eye on someone?" Kurapika repeated in confusion. Gon jumped in place, looking up at her with wide eyes. "That's so nice, Zurui! Is it your family?"

Killua visibly paled at the mention of family and Nallui made sure to avert suspicion. She chuckled behind a bandaged hand. "I'm here with my partner. You know Gittarackur-san?"

Kurapika, Gon and Leorio tilted their heads in unison at the foreign name and Killua paled even further, his eyes glancing behind them like he expected said person to appear at any moment.

"Gittarackur…?"

Nallui hummed happily, pointing a finger behind them at the vague outline of the other contestants barely visible through the fog. "Maybe you'd know who I mean if I said he clicks wherever he walks?"

"The pin-man!" Gon exclaimed.

Leorio paled and his expression soured. Kurapika looked a little put-off at the mention of the intimidating participant whose creepy appearance had unnerved everybody.

"Your partner…" he murmured.

"You're together with that freak? How old are you? You don't look any older than Gon!" Leorio asked indignantly.

"I'm 20!" Nallui said with a truthful tone. It wasn't far off the truth, shaving a few years off of her actual age.

"EH!?" they all exclaimed in unison, pausing briefly in their jog to stare at Nallui in disbelief.

She giggled at their shock and continued running, flashing them a peace sign with her fingers as they hurried to catch up to her again, not wanting to get lost in the fog. "I'll take it as a compliment that you think I'm so young."

"20…no way…" Leorio muttered with a pout, eyeing her form with scepticism.

"I guess we can't see your face so it is possible…." Kurapika murmured.

Killua and Gon were looking at her with matching intrigue, their wide eyes causing her hand to twitch at its side in her urge to coo and pinch their cheeks.

"Gittarackur-san wanted to get a Hunter's licence and I thought why not join him? It seemed like a fun idea."

Before they could reply to her words a sudden spike of intensity was felt from behind them. They turned to see just what was causing it and saw a gang of examinees subtly following the magician, their expressions twisted in distaste.

"Gon," Killua murmured quietly, getting his friends attention. "Let's move up."

Gon agreed, calling out to Kurapika and Leorio who had slowly begun falling behind, losing their stamina quicker than the two teens. Kurapika assured them that they'd catch up.

"Zurui, are you coming?" Gon asked innocently, his brown eyes shining in curiosity.

"Oh? Sure." With one last glance behind her at the smirking magician, she sped up and disappeared into the fog.


	3. encountering the magician

There was screaming all around them, the sounds echoing within the wetland. The fog created an eerie atmosphere that tricked the eye in believing what it wanted them to see. Nallui paid it no mind, instead, focusing her gaze on the two young boys that ran in front of her.

"I hope Leorio and Kurapika are okay…" Gon said despondently, eyeing their surroundings.

Both boys were running a couple of metres ahead of her and in a sudden sense of spiked killer intent, Nallui gracefully flipped her body backwards, narrowly missing being swallowed up into the waiting beast's mouth. She watched with a blank face as the frog creature gobbled up Killua and Gon, both boys shouting their shock before disappearing inside.

Nallui stood perfectly still, her expression giving nothing away as she stared at the creature dead in the eyes. The frog had blank eyes that bored into her but they widened when a sudden, all-consuming spike of bloodlust permeated the air, Nallui's plaits rising to float in the air from the force of the dark aura she was releasing. The giant frog began trembling at such a forceful killer intent and with a choking sound promptly spat up the two boys it had swallowed, both coughing and covered in slime.

The creature hurriedly escaped the scene, leaving Nallui to swiftly contain her bloodlust lest she scare them both. "Are you okay?" Nallui asked casually, ignoring the disgusted faces they both made as they looked at the puddle of slime they'd fallen into.

Gon nodded happily at her concern, sending a bright smile her way, while Killua hummed casually. "Though…I'm still worried about Kurapika and Leorio," Gon murmured.

"Forget about them. We'll still reach the examiner if we go now," Killua said uncaringly and began running away, expecting them both to follow.

Gon moved to follow but soon stopped with a resolute expression, turning back to face the opposite direction before running off, likely in the direction of his missing friends. Nallui was left standing in the fog, alone.

"My, my…looks like I've been forgotten already."

She tilted her head back to stare into the nothingness of the mist surrounding her, letting the Nen flow from her body with ease, attempting to locate her twin. Instead, she sensed a powerful concentrate of desire and raised a brow in interest. " _Oh?_ "

Knowing Killua could look after himself and finding the entirety of this phase boring so far, Nallui decided to check out such a powerful source of Nen, enjoying the spark of pleasure it had sent down her spine. It was so similar to Illumi's whenever Nallui did something that especially pleased him and she was curious to just what within this barren wasteland could give someone such a visceral reaction.

She ran in the direction she could sense the spike of pleasure through the trees, zigzagging her way through the dense forest until she came upon a clearing. Her sight immediately caught onto the colourful figure of the magician, her eyes trailing upwards where he was tightly gripping a familiar young boy by the neck who was struggling futilely.

Gon was trying his hardest to break free of the chokehold, kicking his legs toward his attacker in a futile attempt at escape. He was struggling for breath and his vision was rapidly dimming as the hand enclosed tighter around his throat, barely refraining from crushing his windpipe.

Nallui tilted her head at the situation, not necessarily wanting to get involved in another's hunt, yet as she looked toward the struggling Gon, she remembered her brother's attitude toward the boy. He'd made a friend. Killua was happy with Gon. Killua was happy.

_Killu wouldn't be happy if his friend died so soon._

Releasing her breath, Nallui's fingers trailed down the length of her other arm, stopping at the wrist. Without barely a second to prepare, she swiftly bent the wrist to the side, fracturing the bone effectively with a loud crack. She didn't flinch at the registered pain, a dull throbbing that was barely noticeable in the back of her mind, instead, she was focused solely on the figure in front of her, the blank eyes of her mask boring into those golden orbs.

Gon was dropped to the floor with a cry of shock, coughing weakly as he clutched his throbbing neck and trying to suck in large gasps of breath. Where he'd previously been held in such a tight grip in the magician's hand, he could only see the man's wrist bent at an odd, unnatural angle.

The magician rose a singular thin brow at the appearance of Nallui, the smirk at the corner of his lips twitching ever so slightly. His eyes were lit with a burning passion at such a display. " _Oh?~_ "

Nallui didn't twitch, walking forward with grace toward the panting boy on the ground, uncaring of the predatory gaze following her every move. "I apologise for interrupting but I have a valued interest in this boy and I can't let you kill him just yet," she spoke tonelessly.

Gon looked up at Nallui through squinted eyes, still struggling to regulate his breathing to a normal pace. "Zu-Zurui!"

Nallui cocked her head downwards to gaze at the boy. Her expressionless kitsune mask gave nothing away of her emotions and the surrounding fog only added a level of creepiness to her appearance Gon had yet to experience. "Come, Gon. Killua will be missing you."

The magician chuckled at the mention of Killua's name, eyeing her form with renewed focus. "Oh? And why is it you have such a keen interest in little Gon and Killua?~"

"Do I need a reason, Magician-san?"

"Hisoka," he purred.

" _Hi-so-ka_ ," Nallui sang, displaying no fear of the man in front of her.

" _He_ did mention to leave you both alone. Under the threat of death, might I add," Hisoka whispered lowly enough so only the two of them could hear, Gon none the wiser below them. Nallui knew who exactly he was referencing, having seen Illumi and Hisoka together during parts of the exam so far, clearly already familiar with one another. It wasn't surprising Hisoka knew of her disguise, if not for Illumi's clear warning then for their excessive public displays of intimacy so far.

"You'd do well to listen to his warnings. If he doesn't kill you, then I will," Nallui promised darkly, letting her Nen release from its tight hold, displaying the raw power behind her words. Hisoka licked his lips at her display, lavishly eyeing her form with barely contained desire.

"Is that a _promise?_ "

"Yes."

He purred delightfully at her quick response, his hand twitching at his side, taking no clear note or care for the obvious painful fracture her attack had caused. "Well, well. It looks like your friend saved you this time, boya." Hisoka stared down at Gon with intense golden eyes. "It's for the best, anyways. I like my fruit ripe before I eat them."

Gon looked up at the magician with confusion and fear, his eyes wide as he stared in apprehension for his next move. Hisoka's expression changed at once, his perverted smirk turning into a delightful smile, eyebrows rising until his face became as non-threatening as possible.

Nallui could easily spot the mask as though it were as physical as her own. He was good at creating falsities, much like herself. Someone to keep an eye on, that was for sure.

"Don't worry~" he cooed toward Gon. "I won't kill your tall friend. You all passed the test."

"T-est…?" Gon whispered between coughs.

Hisoka hummed happily, arms crossing his chest in a comfortable pose. "Grow up and become a strong Hunter, okay?" the boy could only nod dumbly, suffering whiplash from the man's sudden change of character.

A ringing interrupted the moment and Hisoka pulled out a receiver from the shawl wrapped around his waist, a mechanical voice could be heard speaking. "Hisoka, you should get back here. The site for Phase Two is close."

Nallui recognised her brother's voice even without its usual tone, but she gave no outward recognition as Hisoka's teasing eyes met her blank mask as he replied back. "Okay~ I'll be right there." He began walking away without a second glance toward the young boy kneeling on the floor, moving toward Leorio's fallen form.

Nallui blinked, having not taken care enough to notice the sprawled body, simply dismissing it as a random examinee. "Leave him," she ordered.

Hisoka's eyes narrowed at her tone but there was no anger or contempt from being ordered around, only controlled lust. "Whatever you say~" he sang. "I trust you can find your way back." He waved a hand lightly and continued walking toward the treeline, disappearing into the thick fog.

As soon as the magician's form was gone, Gon let out a whoosh of air from parted lips, his form trembling from the combined fear and adrenaline. Nallui walked toward Leorio and without effort slung him onto her shoulder, turning to face the teen who was so shaken up.

"Are you done?" she asked bluntly.

Gon released his breath shakily. "Zurui…thank you for saving me," he said sincerely, eyes watery.

She tilted her head in consideration, wondering if Killua had ever shown such vulnerability. She walked towards him and with her free hand that didn't display a fractured wrist, she picked up his small body, his light-weight making it an easy task. Gon didn't put up a fight to her actions, allowing her to carry him through the wetlands as she headed toward where she could sense the most concentration of aura.

* * *

Within the hour they had made it out of the dense misty wetlands and toward the group of contestants, Satotz waiting at the end of the pathway. Once he spotted them, Nallui noticed his shoulders sag the tiniest amount from what seemed like relief. Though why he'd be relieved at their appearance was beyond her. _Perhaps he was pleased so many people had passed Phase One?_ She doubted it.

Entering the clearing and dodging those panting all around her, Nallui deposited Leorio's unconscious body up against a tree beside an anxious Kurapika, who smiled in relief at seeing them. Or more likely Gon.

"I was worried you guys hadn't made it. What happened?" he asked.

Before Gon could regale their tales, Nallui cut him off. "Well, it's been a fun time but I'm going to go find Gittarackur-san for the second phase. See you later." She waved as she walked away, ignoring their matching shocked expressions at her abrupt departure.

Nallui made a direct path to Gittarackur's intimidating form, eyeing the multitude of pins with growing distaste. Why must her brother cover his handsome features with such ghastly decorations? And would it have killed him to have chosen an attractive disguise? _Though none would have matched up to his original. I guess this is for the best, Illu-ni stays mine this way._

Not one for propriety and confident her brother had already sensed her from miles away, Nallui sprang from her spot to wrap her arms and legs around Gittarackur's looming form, her arms entwining around his neck. She lay the side of her head against her arm, peering at her brothers face. "I missed you, ni-chan~"

"It wouldn't be a problem if you'd have stayed with me."

Nallui pouted at his blunt words, nuzzling into his neck like a cat seeking attention from its owner. "Don't be like that. Didn't you miss me too?" she whispered.

His arms came up to support her legs and they squeezed the bandaged flesh tightly. She could bet there'd be bruises left on pale flesh afterwards. A spark shot down her spine and she hummed teasingly. Pushing the mask up her face ever so slightly, only exposing her pink lips, Nallui pressed an open kiss to the edge of his jaw. "If you plan on being mad at me, save it for later tonight, hm?"

"Then don't complain afterwards about being too rough," he warned. Nallui took the promise with a playful grin.

"Excellent work, everyone." Satotz cut into the light chatter and all attention focused on him. "Phase Two of the exam will take place right here, at Biska Forest Park. Best luck to you all."

The high castle walls faced them and the steel entrance began moving, allowing them to see inside. Tables lined the courtyard and at the end, sitting casually upon a soft couch sat a woman, a large round man looming behind her. "Would the applicants who passed Phase One please enter?"

She had bright green hair that was parted into five separate buns, giving the impression of a starfish, pink ribbons tying them all in place. Her clothing consisted of nothing but a black bra underneath a sheer crop top and denim shorts. The large man behind her was of plain features and the bright yellow top he wore rode up on his extended stomach.

"I'm Menchi, the examiner for Phase Two," she said confidently with a bright expression. She pointed back at the man behind her, "and this is Buhara, also an examiner for Phase Two."

Silence met their introduction until it was interrupted by a loud groan that echoed throughout the courtyard. The examinees darted their eyes around their surroundings, searching for whatever beast had caused such a sound but Menchi turned to her companion with amusement. "You must be hungry, huh?"

"I'm starving," Buhara whined childishly, rubbing his extended stomach.

Menchi shot up from her sitting position with a confident pose, hands on her hips as she stared down at them all with challenging eyes. "There we have it! Phase Two will consist of… **cooking!** "

Nallui blinked once. Twice. Three times.

_Cooking?_

She sighed. It looked like she'd be zoning out of this phase, too. When would the exam start becoming difficult? First, running. Now cooking? She could do this in her sleep. Staring at the conflicted murmurings of those around her and the kindling anger permeating the air, she knew this phase was going to be more hassle than it was worth.

_How boring._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are uncomfortable with anything written so far then please do not continue this story. In the next few chapters, there will be more intimate scenes and after the Hunter's Exam Arc, we all know things only get darker progressively in canon. The relationships in this are not supposed to be healthy or rational, that's kind of the point. (Also, I do not have any actual siblings of my own, which personally, makes writing this much less weird or difficult, I guess.)


	4. sibling love

Hot breath left parted lips, a quiet moan ringing out into the silent room as nimble fingers trailed their way down her sensitive spine. She dug sharp nails into the pliant skin under her grip, arching her back as a particularly sensitive area was sucked between sharp teeth and bitten. Her back was pushed harshly against the wall, her lithe form trapped between the unforgiving steel and the strong body in front of her.

Glazed eyes glanced sideways toward the small pile of pins on the floor, their unassuming form seeped so deeply in their owners Nen. She tugged harshly on silky black hair, her fingers entwining between strands to find any semblance of control. A face pulled back to peer down at her slouched form with wide, dark eyes. Ones that were identical to her own.

"Illu," she panted out enticingly. She felt those long fingers wrap around her neck in a vice grip and let out a shudder at the thrilling warning.

Illumi said nothing, only stared at her with those blank eyes that bored into her entire being. They uncovered every hidden corner and secret she kept inside of her and Nallui bit her lip to muffle the giggle that threatened to spill as he tightened his hold. "Nallu."

It was a single word. Two syllables. Yet it threatened to send her over the edge completely. Nallui stared at him with wide, glassy eyes, their dark colouring giving the impression of a doll, the gleam like the shiniest button.

A thumb rubbed teasingly against her lower lip and Nallui felt no shame as it was soon covered in drool, the tight hold on her neck forcing her head backwards and her mouth wide open, her expression held in a suspended state of bliss.

"I almost killed Hisoka."

Illumi's expression barely twitched but Nallui could identify the tightly concealed bloodlust that threatened to seep through his impeccable control. Nallui ran the tip of her tongue across his thumb, sucking it into her mouth with a hum. Illumi watched her perform such degrading acts, meeting her lustful stare with his own narrowed one.

"Do you know why? Do you want to hear what he told me?"

Nallui was hardly listening, too busy tempting him to continue but she nodded along, hoping if he got it off his chest then he'd take out whatever anger he held on her. She could help him relieve his stress like she always did. Nallui was perfect at this job. She knew her brother so well.

"He said to thank you for such a _pleasurable_ display and that he hopes your wrist heals soon." Illumi's voice had dropped, barely a whisper as he leaned closer to bore holes into her skull with his stare. "I don't enjoy another man's attention on what's mine. _Especially him_."

Nallui tapped the arm that was cutting off her means of speaking, signalling for him to loosen up so she could talk, her eyes focusing a little more from their previous daze. Illumi loosened his grip but kept his fingers wrapped snugly around her neck. She panted as her airway opened up and took a few necessary breaths of air. "Who cares about Hisoka? Won't you indulge me, Illu-ni? I've been excited all day."

"Explain," he said coolly.

She sighed and instead thread her fingers with his free hand, bringing their joint hands up to her wet lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the ring finger as she stared up through damp lashes. "He almost killed Gon. Gon makes Killu happy. There is no other reason."

"Killu does not need friends," he refuted.

"Whether he needs them or not, Gon makes him happy. That's all I care about."

Illumi narrowed his eyes at her flippancy. His hand left her neck completely and moved to cup her jaw, bringing her face closer to his own, their lips barely touching. "Killu only needs us. We only need each other. Do not look at anybody but me, Nallu."

"Then keep your eyes on me too, Illu-ni. Always keep them my way."

"They have never strayed."

Illumi spoke the truth, her faithful brother had never turned away from her, something Nallui took evident pleasure in.

Their parents had taught them both how to seduce the target, how exactly to wheedle information out of them when necessary. That particular talent hadn't made it past the initial testing phase when Nallui had attempted using her skills against a target their client wanted information on and before she could work her charm, Illumi, who had been disguised, had pulled her away, telling her they'd find another way of gaining the information. He'd forbid her from utilising such skills ever again. Of course, Nallui had done the same, never wanting her brother's attention on anybody but herself.

Since the moment they had been born, their attention had only been on the other. It was only the birth of Killua that had tempted Nallui's gaze to stray, though Illumi allowed such as he watched her develop a bond with their little brother neither of them had considered possible. For the first decade of their life, it had only been them. Two pieces of a whole. Illumi and Nallui.

Then Killua had come screaming into the world with his shocking head of silvery-white hair so similar to Nallui's own that she'd fell in love with the small wrinkly baby at first glance. How could her heart beat so fast yet feel such an aching longing toward such a tiny being? When Kikyo had offered for her daughter to hold her baby brother, Nallui had snatched the child from her mother's arms and refused to give him back. Nallui had promised from that day onwards that she'd do everything within her power to ensure this tiny being had everything it wanted. She would spread hellfire and raise the entire earth if he so much as asked it. She'd offer her heart on a silver platter if it was his whim.

For the first time in her life, Nallui had found a purpose other than her twin, and despite initially disliking her attention being averted elsewhere, Illumi soon found solidarity in her obsession. He listened to her fervent wishes about creating the perfect family, about how their parents were useless and unnecessary for their future. Killua was declared the Zoldyck heir, even after another two children were born and so what use were parents when their ideal family was right in front of them in the form of their siblings? Nallui whispered sweetness into his ear, her greatest desires, and Illumi promised to make them a reality.

They would have two powerfully connected heads, the true prodigy heir for the Zoldyck name, a sentient being that held immense power in the form of their locked-up sibling and two other brothers that were talented in their own right. What else could either twin want when their perfect family was so obviously achievable? Nallui asked Illumi to give her this family and like the doting brother he was, he promised to deliver and sealed it with a kiss.

"Show me how much you missed me, Illu-ni. Show me how much you love me."

Capturing her lips in a fervent kiss, sharp teeth bit harshly against bruised lips and Nallui could only moan in content at such a natural feeling. She wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in closer, wanting their bodies to be tightly entwined, wishing they could melt and meld into one being.

* * *

Stretching her arms above her head, Nallui moaned in contentment as her back made a satisfying pop. She was walking down the hallway of the airship, the night sky a deep blue visible from the windows opposite. The sight of the city below was minuscule and gave the effect of tiny jewels glittering in the distance. She heard the excited murmurs of young voices and as she turned the corner was met with the pleasant sight of Killua and Gon staring out the window to the view below.

"Oh~?" she murmured lightly, effectively getting their attention.

Both boys turned as one to face her, eyes lighting up in recognition of her disguised form. Illumi had stuck the needles back within her lower spine and neck to change her hair back to black and her height to shoot down. Nallui had changed back into her hakama and kimono, re-wrapping the white gauze bandages around her arms and legs, as well as her neck. Something she was grateful for as it hid the mottled bruising and love bites decorating her pale skin.

"Zurui!" Gon shouted in welcoming, waving as she got closer.

"Having fun?" she asked, eyeing the chicken legs they were both munching on. They hummed in agreement, sloppily eating their stolen treats with delight. Nallui smiled behind her mask, drinking in the sight of Killua wearing such a carefree smile.

"Mind if I join you two?" she asked politely, pointing to the bench. "It's a lovely night."

"Of course not!" Gon replied happily. Killua shrugged, unbothered at whatever she chose to do.

The three of them sat in comfortable silence, the only sound was of them both chewing their food, making little happy hums at the delicious taste. Nallui stared out into the night sky, occasionally staring at Killua's reflection in the glass, taking in both of their forms sat together and wishing she could sit beside her little brother in her normal body. She could never pass up the opportunity to stare at just how similar they looked that way; how obvious their connection was.

"Ne, Killua…" Gon started softly, having finished his food. He was swinging his legs back and forth under the bench, eyes looking up at the stars in the sky with innocent eyes.

"What?" Killua mumbled.

"Where are your parents?"

Nallui cocked her head slightly at the unexpected question, her eyes staring right at Killua within the glass reflection as he pursed his lips, thinking on how exactly to answer his friend's question.

"They're alive…probably."

"What do they do?" Gon asked more.

"Hmm... they're assassins." He said it with such nonchalance that Nallui had to stifle her laughter. _Killu is so cute when he's trying to act cool. Such an adorable brother I have!_

Gon turned from staring outside to face his friend. "Huh? Both of them?"

Even Nallui had to take a second to blink at the boy's innocent question, giggling alongside Killua's surprised laughter at his blasé attitude toward an otherwise alarming answer.

"That's your first reaction?" Killua let free a genuine laugh. "You're such a riot, Gon!"

Gon didn't understand what was so funny, genuinely curious as to why his friend was laughing. "Huh?"

"You're the first person that's ever taken it so seriously," Killua revealed with a grin.

"But you were telling the truth?" Gon asked in confusion.

"What makes you think so?" Killua asked with narrowed eyes, curious.

"Just a hunch."

Killua raised an unimpressed brow at his mundane answer. He slouched against the windowsill with a pout. "People only like me because they can never tell whether I'm serious or not." Gon hummed and Killua looked toward his friend, deciding to be honest and open up about himself. He glanced toward Nallui, shrugging and deciding to let her hear it too.

"I'm from a family of assassins."

Nallui's ears perked up, wondering how her brother would portray them to his new friend. Would he lie and act like everything was normal or admit to how delusional their dynamics were? Nallui and Gon both leant closer to the silver-haired boy, their interests peaked.

"My family has really high hopes for me," he revealed with a bitter tone and a smile to match. "But I can't stand it…I mean, who wants their entire life planned out for them?"

Nallui blinked at his words, taken aback. She'd known her little brother wasn't pleased with having the Zoldyck heirship pushed onto him from such a young age, but she hadn't thought he despised it so deeply. She frowned sadly.

"When I told them I wanted to decide my own future, they snapped!" he said animatedly, waving his hands around. "My mother had tears streaming down her face and she told me I had too much potential to give up!" Gon laughed as Killua grew more and more animated. "Horrible parents, right? It's only natural their kid would rebel."

"Do you have any siblings?" Nallui's voice cut into their mini conversation and snapped Killua out of his act. He frowned at her words and pursed his lips. "What?"

"You said your whole family are assassins, but only mentioned your parents so far. Do you have siblings, then?"

"Ah, yeah…" he mumbled, averting his eyes.

"What about them?" she asked with barely concealed impatience.

"Huh? What _about_ them?" Killua snapped.

"Do you dislike them, too?" Gon asked the question Nallui had been about to voice. She bit her lip and watched Killua struggle to answer the question.

"Well," he sighed and slumped his shoulders. "Most of them are either annoying or boring. Aniki is creepy and too pushy but I guess nee-san is cool." His face brightened and he turned to Gon with a proud smirk. "Nee-san actually helped me escape."

Gon made an awed sound. "Really! How?"

Killua leant back with his arms behind his head, proud of the attention for his cool story. "Well, nee-san has always done what I want. She said she'd do anything I wanted no matter what. Cool, right?" Gon nodded his head excitedly in agreement. "She distracted the others while I escaped."

" _You want to leave, Killu? How do you expect to get past the butlers? Mother has already sent warning ahead of your attempted escape."_

_Killua pouted angrily at the news, his eyes darting to their surroundings like he'd be ambushed at any moment. Nallui strolled closer, a pleased hum as she noticed Killua didn't tense at her closeness, not recognising her as a threat or dangerous. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning down to press her lips against his ears, ignoring the slight flush on his cheeks as she pulled him close to her chest._

" _You know what to do, Killu. Use me. You want to escape, right? Then use me. Use me for your distraction. Use me to make your escape. You know I'll do anything you want."_

" _Nee-san," Killua mumbled, used to these words of promise and love but still finding himself flushing at such obvious devotion._

" _Killu. If you don't decide soon, Gotoh will arrive and stop you from leaving."_

_Killua tensed at her words, knowing it was true. If he didn't leave soon then the multitude of skilled butlers would ambush him and bring him home on his mother's orders. He'd be watched even more securely and miss his chance at freedom. He looked up at his sister, who looked so much like Illumi and yet was so similar to himself that Killua often struggled to find the words he felt for her._

_The love her felt towards her outshined that he felt for his own parents but his young mind struggled with such emotional issues. He'd much rather push them to the side and ignore them. Though he couldn't ignore her. His eyes traced the silvery locks that were identical to his own, the only two in the family who stood out from the rest. He met her unwavering stare resolutely._

" _Nallu," he whispered, watching as her eyes softened at his tone. "Stop them. Keep them busy until I escape. All of them," he ordered. Nallui smiled lovingly at the boy, pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead and smoothing back his hair._

" _As you wish."_

"She sounds like a good sister," Nallui commented, tone purposely light.

Killua harrumphed, cheeks pink. "Yeah, well, she's pretty great, I guess. For a sister."

"So many siblings! I'm jealous, Killua!" Gon exclaimed.

Killua's smirk came back, basking in his friend's admiration. Nallui watched him in fondness, enjoying the light atmosphere that followed both boys when they were together. It eased her heart and Nallui could admit to enjoying Gon's easy-going nature compared to the usual high-strung personalities of her family back home.

"When I become a hunter, I can start by capturing my family…" Killua said with a dreamy look on his face. Nallui snickered behind her hand, finding his childish fantasies amusing. "I'm sure they're worth a hefty bounty!"

With the line of work they were in, it was only natural that the Zoldyck family had amassed countless enemies. Nallui had heard from their father that even a photo of one of them was worth a plentiful bounty. She briefly pondered the merits of selling her own photos that she'd often send to Illumi…

_Better not. If father didn't kill me for acting so recklessly then Illu-ni would for the simple fact that another person had seen photos meant only for him._

"What would you spend the money on, hm?" Nallui mused, bringing Killua out of his daydream. The boy looked at her with a serious expression as he replied, "Choco robots."

Nallui and Gon stared at Killua blankly, both blinking in sync at his answer.

"That is…" Gon began.

"Very childish," Nallui finished.

Killua let out an indignant squawk at their words, beginning to ramble on about how _they were limited editions and very popular which meant he had to buy them in bulk otherwise he'd miss out on such delicious chocolatey goodness-_

Nallui's head moved imperceptibly to the side, ignoring Killua's rambling, as she sensed a presence close by. Her eyes narrowed in on the corner of the hallway where an old man was stood watching them all. Nallui recognised him as the chairman who had crashed into their second phase of the exam. Despite the mask covering her face, their eyes met and Nallui could tell the old man knew she was looking straight at him.

Waiting to see just what he was up to, Nallui kept quiet. She was confident in her brother's abilities to protect himself, and at worst, her own ability to do the same. She glanced at Gon and wondered whether his presence would be a permanent thing in Killua's life or if they would part ways after the exam was over. If it was the former, then she supposed he would become another on her list of priorities. If he made Killua happy then it was her duty to protect him.

An overwhelming spike of bloodlust consumed the hallway and both young boy's eyes shot to the area the man had last been, though it was now empty. Nallui lazily looked to the opposite side, spotting him walking down the corridor wearing a genial smile upon his face. Killua wasn't far behind her, his eyes moving towards the old man, narrowing at his figure while Gon greeted him innocently.

"Netero-san! Did you see someone over there just now?" He pointed to the opposite corner with wide eyes.

"No."

"Nice tricks for an old man, pretty fast, too," Killua commented dryly, eyeing the man sceptically with narrowed blue eyes.

"Hm?" Netero continued looking down at Killua and Gon with a jovial smile, giving nothing away of his previous aura attack. "I barely moved," he waved his hand, dismissing the boy's comment.

Killua continued to stare up at the man and Nallui knew if her brother knew of Nen, then his aura would be considerably dark at that moment. Rising from her still seated position on the bench with casual grace, Nallui stretched her arms above her head, sighing at her joints popped. It was truly uncomfortable to be in disguise and Illumi's needles had only been pushed back inside for a few hours.

"Can we help you, Netero-san?" she asked politely, moving to stand behind Killua like a protective shadow. Though neither boys seemed to notice, Netero stared at her as though he could see through her mask. He took in her obvious stance – looming behind the two teens vigilantly – with growing understanding.

"I was hoping to find some companions that wouldn't mind relieving this old man of his boredom." He said it with such an earnest expression that Gon believed him instantly.

Nallui cocked a brow at the boy's naivety, wondering if she needed to step in and explain to him the dangers of accepting invitations from strangers. Especially of old men inviting young boys to come and relieve him of his boredom…honestly, could Netero have not worded such a thing any better? Did he _want_ to incite her bloodlust?

"Be careful of your words, old man," she warned lowly.

Netero rose both of his bushy brows in response, holding his hands out in front of him in a sign of no harm. Killua's nose scrunched in disgust, having connected the dots between his words and Nallui's warning. Gon was as clueless as ever as he stood looking between them all with wide, innocent eyes.

"I don't get it…" he mumbled.

Nallui turned back to the boy and patted him softly upon his head. "No worries, Gon~"

"I only wanted to play a game with them both, a little…training, I suppose. No harm will come to them, I can assure you," Netero said and Nallui could sense he was being honest. The old man truly meant no harm to either boy and that was enough for her. As much as she may have wanted it, she knew she couldn't hang around them both all the time, otherwise, she may begin acting too clingy and Killua would eventually catch on to her identity.

It wasn't like Nallui was a bad actress – quite the opposite, she was an assassin after all – but her obsession with her little brother was a known weakness for the female Zoldyck and her actions became a little… _intense_ when she was around him for long enough.

She took a peek sideways at Killua beside her and thought to herself, _besides he deserves a little alone time with his new friend…I can give him that, at least._

So Nallui waved a hand carelessly, cocking her head to the side and adopting a carefree persona. "Sure, sure. Perhaps I'll go find Gittarackur, he must be missing me _so much_ ~" she teased and took great amusement in the slight shudder Netero made at her suggestive comment. _So the old man does know I'm in disguise, Illumi too. Not too keen on sibling love, Netero-san?~_

Giggling to herself and ignoring the weird look Killua gave her, Nallui began walking down the hallway without a backward glance. "Be careful boys," she called over her shoulder.

"Bye-bye, Zurui!" Gon shouted back happily, waving his hand cutely. Killua stood beside him, still staring at Netero with narrowed eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating this story frequently, I have no upload schedule or anything, unfortunately. I only started writing this because I have a bad obsession with Illumi and the Zoldyck family, and so it wasn't even intended to be posted online, really. But I thought others might like it. I apologise if it takes time to continue this, but thank you for all the support being given so far! (I didn't think so many people would enjoy such taboo topics like me, ha)


	5. trick tower

Nallui had walked down the quiet and empty hallways searching for something to do when she'd come across a room where a couple of familiar faces were seemingly asleep. The girl moved closer to sit beside the blonde-haired boy, staring at his peaceful face in curiosity. When awake, Kurapika most always wore a strained or neutral expression, only allowing his emotions to be displayed when he was genuinely surprised or happy.

This much was obvious and Nallui had only known the boy for a couple of days.

As an experienced actress herself, she could always tell when somebody was wearing a mask to hide their true emotions and while the boy may be able to fool others, he didn't have enough experience to go up against a seasoned pro like herself or Illumi. Hell, even Hisoka was a skilled actor, even if he used a different approach than the Zoldyck twins.

While Nallui and Illumi were used to becoming shadows within the crowd, or in Nallui's sake seducing her way into people's hearts and secrets, Hisoka used his natural aura to intimidate, allowing his unusual and off-putting attitude to make others submit by fear. She could commend his methods and would use it herself if gaining allies wasn't so much more effective.

 _Fear is effective when used on those beneath you, but respect gets you more to those equal._ She remembered her father's words clearly and while she didn't like the man, she respected his knowledge. He was much older than her and knew much more when it came to the world.

Glancing to her side at the snoozing blonde, Nallui pondered the boy's motivations for taking this exam. She didn't particularly care for the specifics – didn't really care for anything if it didn't involve her family – but she wondered what made somebody join such a dangerous examination. Did he have people to protect like herself? Revenge? Goals to reach the top of the world?

Nallui was surprised at how interested she was in finding out what motivated the people her little brother had surrounded himself with. While he seemed much friendlier with Gon, she had seen the way he acted around Kurapika and Leorio and it was very close to how the boy acted when he was comfortable. Or as comfortable as he could get with strangers. It made Nallui feel slightly jealous that she wasn't the only person her brother could feel at ease around, but the rational part of her squished that down, finding happiness in the simple fact that her brother had made friends.

The female Zoldyck didn't quite understand the concept of friends herself. She was friends with her twin and liked to think her little siblings were her friends…but could your family truly be your _friends_?

"You look deep in thought," a whisper cut into her thoughts and the cat-like eyes of her mask looked into curious grey. Kurapika was awake and staring at the girl sat beside him.

Nallui hummed. "Hello, sleepyhead~"

Kurapika chuckled softly, being careful not to wake the snoring Leorio that was slumped against the wall beside them. The man still wore his glasses and was using his briefcase as a makeshift pillow. Nallui snorted at the sight of the man, finding amusement in the back pain he was bound to feel once he woke up.

"Have you slept yet?" the blonde asked. He sat up a little and rubbed his eyes to wake himself up.

"Don't worry, I can go days without needing to sleep," she reassured him, but Kurapika's eyes widened at her words. He looked a little alarmed but she wasn't sure why. "What about you? Do you feel better after getting some rest?"

Kurapika smiled, pushing past her earlier statement and focusing on her small form. "Do you not want to remove your mask to sleep?"

Nallui blinked before realising the boy was referring to the kitsune mask she still wore. He was right, it wasn't the most comfortable thing to wear and while she would normally never normally do something so flippant, Nallui decided to take a risk with gaining the blonde's trust. She could sense the inner-strength and determination within the boy and knew that if he passed this exam, he would become a powerful individual. He would make a great ally and if Killua remained friends with this group of people, being on friendlier terms when her identity was eventually revealed would be beneficial.

Besides, it's not like he knew what Illumi looked like, and Killua wasn't here. She hummed lightly. "You're right, maybe I'll take it off for a while." She didn't need to say the words out loud but she watched Kurapika's face for a sign and smirked when his face turned brighter at the trust she was showing him.

Small delicate hands easily removed the mask from her face, finally revealing the delicate beauty that lay beneath. Kurapika's eyes widened at her features and he could finally match her appearance to her age. With her tiny form and high-pitched voice, the blonde had been sceptical about her age but seeing the womanly beauty that no child could possess made the truth believable.

"Wow…" he muttered without thinking and flushed when Nallui giggled at him.

"You flatter me," she teased with a playful grin. Kurapika smiled abashedly, a little embarrassed to have voiced his thoughts. "You're very beautiful, Zurui. Why do you wear a mask? I honestly thought you had something you wanted to hide."

"You do know I'm taken don't you, pretty boy? Flattery will get you nowhere," she teased, chuckling at his flush from the nickname she'd given him. "Hmm~ I wear the mask to hide my identity, you never know who you might cross during a dangerous exam like this and I wouldn't want to make it easy on them to track me down."

Her excuse was only half truthful, but she lied so fluently that even someone as astute as Kurapika couldn't detect anything deceitful in her tone. His face lit up in understanding. "That's true…I hadn't thought of that. You really think ahead, Zurui, I'm impressed."

Nallui smiled, leaning further into the blonde's space. "Do you wish you'd hidden your identity, Kurapika? Do you plan on making enemies during your time here?"

The blonde was slightly uncomfortable at her probing, and what didn't help was the innocence she projected. Those wide dark eyes were staring into his soul and he gulped, feeling a little taken in with them, like he was being consumed.

Nallui's lips curled into a small smile which she knew made her features portray an alluring picture and tilted her head down slightly, looking at the blonde through her long lashes. "Would you make _me_ an enemy, Kurapika?"

The boy reared back at her words; surprise clear on his face. "What?" he asked. "Of course not, why would you ask that?"

Nallui adopted an innocent worry within her expression, even playing with the ends of her plaits as though nervous. "I'm sure you're aware but I'm a small woman, and we both know how the world treats women, don't we?"

His face lightened in understanding before softening, his eyes crinkling at the corners as his voice was a mere whisper. "I'm not going to hurt you, Zurui. I can promise that."

Nallui pursed her lips, expertly reading his face for any trace of a lie and seeing none. Good. She could easily snap his neck like a twig but she didn't want to resort to violence. Despite her occupation as an assassin, Nallui didn't take any particular pleasure in murdering people. She did it because it was her job and her family depended upon it. That was all. She felt no guilt but also no overt pleasure. She wouldn't go out of her way to kill somebody that mattered even a little to her brother. Everybody else was fair game in her eyes, but if Killua cared about somebody even the tiniest amount, then they were safe with her.

"Thanks, pretty boy. I promise not to hurt you either," she said in reply, leaving out the _'unless you hurt Killua'_ exception.

Kurapika smiled at their promise, shuffling himself until he was in a more comfortable position, sitting upon his discarded bag. He leant back against the wall and after glancing at the girl beside him, closed his eyes with a content smile.

"Try and get some sleep, Zurui. It will do you good, even if you don't need it."

The girl smiled in amusement at his tone, finding it amusing to be talked to like a child by somebody younger than her. Not arguing, Nallui leant back in a similar fashion and closed her eyes too, holding the kitsune mask within her hands as she relaxed her body.

Within minutes of enjoying the silence, she heard the boy's heartbeat slow down and his breathing even out. Realising that he was asleep, Nallui opened her eyes again and glanced sideways at the blonde's delicate face. He really was a pretty boy and Nallui wondered if he'd grow into more masculine features as he matured.

Illumi had been much the same, looking much more feminine as a younger teen though his shorter hair had kept him looking like the boy he was. As he'd matured and gained more muscle and a sharper jaw, he'd allowed his hair to grow longer into the black sheen it was now. Nallui had asked him why he'd done it and wasn't surprised when her twin had admitted it made them look more identical if they had similar length hair. Nallui had found it sweet and made sure to reward him for such thoughtful thinking.

 _Ahh I miss Illu-ni~_ she thought wistfully. She brought a hand up to her neck and pushed beneath the fabric of her kimono to find the raw bite that decorated her skin. She pressed down on the mark and withheld the moan that threatened to pass her lips at the intense spike of pleasure that shot down her spine. The pain made her toes curl and she sighed as she eased up, tightening her kimono once again, knowing that if she continued to explore further she'd get herself into a state. She wondered what her brother was doing right now.

Before she'd met Killua and Gon in the hallway, she'd been told by Illumi that he had somebody to speak with and left her with a stare that warned her about getting into trouble. Nallui had brushed aside his concerns. While she revelled in his possessive nature she was finding her curiosity growing the longer she stayed surrounded by such a mixed bunch of personalities. Nallui had many masks she'd copied from people around her, most taken from targets she'd killed while others were imitations of people she'd met within her lifetime. Slipping into a role was as easy as breathing to her by now but she found the longer she stayed around people like Gon and Kurapika that her natural aloofness was slipping away, albeit slowly.

Shrugging to herself and deciding that worrying about pointless things was useless, Nallui placed the kitsune mask back onto her face and rose fluidly to stand above the sleeping Kurapika and Leorio. Without looking back she slipped out of the room and into the silent corridor, the only sound heard was the rhythmic _click-clack_ of her wooden geta against the floor.

* * *

Standing atop the brick tower with the air surrounded by a mist which obscured the view of below, Nallui stood beside Killua and his friends. Illumi had given her a dry look as she explained that it was for the best that she stick around their little brother. What if he got in trouble or got himself hurt? _He's a Zoldyck, a trained assassin_ , her brother's voice spoke dryly within her mind but Nallui ignored that and had instead saddled up to Killua and the others with a cheerful wave.

Kurapika had sent her a fond smile that spoke of their little bonding session the previous night and Nallui gave him a small bow in return as he couldn't see her face from beneath her mask.

The third part of the Hunter Exam had begun and Nallui watched with the others as a man attempted to scale down the brickwork of the tower. She rose a brow, disbelieving that it could be so easy.

"I doubt we have to climb down," Killua spoke sarcastically from beside her, his hands in his pockets as always, calm and relaxed. His eyes tracked the man who was descending with a sense of detached amusement, clearly expecting him to fall. Nallui reined in a snicker at her brother's apathy to suffering, finding nothing wrong with his attitude.

It was only moments later when a terrified scream rang out as the man was approached by a flock of large carnivorous birds whose eyes held too much intelligence, singling out the easy prey and snatching it with their beaks easily. They flew off with the screaming contestant as their small group watched on with varying expressions. Leorio was sweating excessively at the casual display of violence while Kurapika had taken a steady step back from the edge. Gon's face was a mixture of surprise and awe at the creatures while Killua looked bored.

Nallui glanced around them to see that the majority of the contestants had disappeared already. She narrowed her eyes at this observation and glanced in every direction to figure out where they'd gone. She couldn't even spot her brother's disguised form and so knew that they hadn't died already. No, at least half of the remaining contestants had somehow managed to find a way to escape this flat plane of land and Nallui was intrigued. She tilted her head to the side, trying to hear for anything but could only hear the murmurs of those left above.

With a shrewd gaze, her eyes moved to look below her at the stone flooring. She eyed the patches of mismatched slab with curiosity, something tugging within her gut telling her that she was onto something. Without saying anything, Nallui moved forward, wanting to test this theory and unwilling to drag Killua along if she was right. Besides, Illumi had somehow disappeared and maybe this would bring her straight to him.

Taking a deliberate step onto one of the unusual-looking rectangular stones, Nallui only had a second to feel the sensation of her body giving in to gravity's pull before she was sent down the trap door with a muttered ' _oh'_.

Landing perfectly on her feet with a natural grace, the girl took a look up at the hidden entrance she'd fallen through only to see the stone had returned to its previous state, covering the roof as though it had never been opened to begin with.

"Oh?~" a lilting voice called out and Nallui moved her gaze toward the only other occupant of the room and found herself staring into seductive golden eyes and a playful smirk.

"Hisoka," Nallui greeted calmly, recognising the man's flamboyant attire and cheshire grin. He rose his brows in playful delight, his smile widened just the slightest. That golden gaze burned into her skin and he purred in delight.

"It seems I struck lucky today, getting stuck in this trick tower with such a mystery herself, hm?~" his eyes darkened as he looked down at her petite form, lust burning within his gaze. "Do you want to play with me, _Na-llu-i?~_ "

Ignoring the jab at her real name, Nallui tilted her head in consideration. She knew Hisoka was strong and bar the scene she'd interrupted with Gon, the two had no animosity between them that she had to watch out for. "Sure," she said melodically, tucking her hands behind her back and peering around them casually.

They were stood in pure darkness and not even those trained to see within the dark could spot anything but inky black. Only the small illuminated circle that she and Hisoka were stood within was visible but Nallui cocked her head in intrigue. "We have an audience?" she asked curiously, sensing more people within the room.

Hisoka purred. "Very astute, my dear. I believe we're going to be putting on a _magnificent_ show. I can't wait~"

Nallui hummed her agreement, wondering just what their test would be. She wasn't afraid as she knew she could singlehandedly take down an entire army if necessary, and with Hisoka beside her, nothing would be able to stop them. However, she was more curious if this phase would provide her with any entertainment.

Then, just like magic, the lights within the room turned on one by one, illuminating a different section in a clockwise manner until the entire arena was lit up. The stone that they stood upon was sectioned off by a deep abyss that descended only into darkness. Nallui wasn't sure how far the drop went but didn't fancy testing it out, instead, she glanced around at the armed men that surrounded them. They were all huge in size, easily towering above six foot and packed with muscle, wielding melee weapons of various size. They were stood on the other side of the abyss, unable to reach them just yet.

" **Contestant #44, Hisoka and Contestant #88, Zurui. Phase Three of the 287** **th** **Hunter Exam will now begin. To succeed onto the next test, you must first survive the Battle Royale."** A mechanical voice resonated throughout the arena and both Nallui and Hisoka rose a brow in intrigue.

"Hmm~ this is much more like it, yes, I'll enjoy this very much," Hisoka said gleefully and Nallui couldn't help but agree. This would allow her to stretch out her muscles and discard some of her boredom. Hisoka turned to the smaller girl with a lurid grin. "Won't you unmask, my dear? I find I work better with some motivation~"

"And why would I do that? I am wearing this for a reason, you know."

"Hmm?" Hisoka took a look at the dozen armed and angry men around them and smiled impishly, his eyes thinning in delight. "I don't plan on letting any of them live. So where's the harm in letting me see your face?"

Mentally shrugging and conceding with his words, Nallui swiftly removed the kitsune mask and tied it to the waist of her hakama, looking back up at the magician with soulful dark eyes. "Better?" she asked dryly.

Hisoka's leery grin grew bigger, almost stretching across his entire face and his words came out low, almost a growl. "Oh~ I'm very motivated now, _Ko-ne-ko~_ "

Raising a brow at the new nickname, _Kitty, really?_ Nallui chuckled before turning back to face their opponents. "Want to split it? You take half and so will I," she offered the man.

"I can handle them all if you'd like~" he purred but when Nallui sent him a scathing look, he only smiled, his eyes lit up in amusement. Honestly, dealing with the mischievous magician was much different than dealing with her brother. _Thank god Illu-ni isn't such hard work._

"Don't underestimate me, _Hi-so-ka_ , I wouldn't want to hurt you again," she reminded him as she looked pointedly at his wrist.

"Hmm~ I wouldn't be opposed to you hurting me again, maybe this time I could hurt you a little, too~?" he asked eagerly. Nallui snorted at his weird fetishes and waved his proposal away. "We can duel another time if you're that eager. Let's finish this, first."

Hisoka smiled like the cat that had gotten the cream, a devilish glint in his eye but Nallui wasn't concerned, putting the thought aside to another time.

The centre stone that they stood on began rumbling and shifting outwards, moving in a way that indicated it would join up with the surrounding arena, subsequently allowing them both to move toward their opponents. It also meant their opponents could attack them, too. A countdown rang out throughout the room and Nallui stood her ground, not intimidated in the slightest as she listened.

" **9…8..."**

"Are you sure I can't clean up this trash by myself? Gittarackur would be very upset if I let anything happen to you~"

Nallui rose a brow at his words. "And since when have you been afraid of Illu-ni?" she asked, intentionally saying her brother's true name, fed up with the theatrics as she was aware Hisoka knew of their true identities. Either he had figured it out himself or Illumi had told him. Either way, Nallui was not concerned, as her only focus was Killua.

"Plus, I'm sure you'd like it if he tried to kill you," she said bluntly.

Hisoka grinned widely. " _Ohh~_ Koneko-chan, you know me so well! Perhaps I can fight you both to the death, hm? _How exhilarating~_ "

"Later," she said offhandedly as the countdown reached **'1'** and the men wielding weapons came charging at them both, screaming in anger.

Instantly separating, Nallui and Hisoka split up to tackle their own enemies. A man rushed forward and Nallui swiftly kicked his knee, causing the man to drop to the ground with a cry of pain. Using the momentum of his fall she swiftly flicked out her fan, slicing his neck clean open.

Sensing movement behind her, she dodged and spun on her heels to throw a heavy punch straight into their throat, breaking his windpipe and watching as he fell to the floor choking without any remorse.

A playing card whizzed by and Nallui watched as it embedded itself into the forehead of a man stood behind her. She raised a brow at Hisoka. "I can protect myself just fine. Please do not steal my kills."

"Sorry, sorry~" he purred as he effortlessly decapitated a man whilst sending a wink her way.

Nallui ignored his flirting and ran ahead to face her opponent and slid underneath his legs at the last second, grabbing his ankles as she passed to send him falling to the floor and breaking his nose upon impact. She jumped to her feet and with swift efficiency, stomped on the back of his neck and hearing the echoing _crack_. She caught a punch thrown at her, taking note of how the hand was almost twice as big as her own and bulging with veins. Paying such a thing no mind, Nallui twisted the wrist downwards and using the man's momentum, jumped and wrapped her legs around his neck as he fell, tightening her thighs and twisting to snap his neck.

The two final men were looking around at all of the fallen around them and instead of realising just how outmatched they were, they instead came charging straight in with nasty snarls. Unfazed at the sight of two hulking muscle-heads running straight at her, Nallui threw her fan straight toward the left guy and heard the satisfying gurgle as it sliced cleanly through his throat and as she finally reached her last opponent she jumped and used his thick thighs as a springboard, kicking upwards as she flipped backwards, kicking him in the face. As she landed she snapped his neck with her foot in a similar manner as before.

Looking around and seeing the dozen fallen bodies around her, Nallui met the golden stare of Hisoka and shared in the man's smile. "That was fun," she commented lightly.

Hisoka wore a creepy grin and Nallui rose a brow at his state, her eyes trailing downwards until she noticed his rather… _compromising_ state of arousal. "You weren't joking about getting horny when fighting, huh?"

"I can't help it, you had this _look_ in your eyes as you killed~" Hisoka said throatily, striding toward her with a leer. "You got me like this, Koneko-chan, how about taking responsibility?"

"Do you want Illu-ni to kill you? Because I can do it myself if you crave death so much," she deadpanned.

It seemed her warning had only added to his arousal as he made a suggestive humming sound, staring down at her tiny form domineeringly. He was very tall compared to her adjusted height and Nallui found it equal parts amusing and annoying.

"Don't even think of jacking off while we're together, alright? At least wait until I can take a nap."

Hisoka's leer only grew.

" **Congratulations, you have survived the Battle Royale."** The mechanical voice spoke up once again. Hisoka and Nallui now stood close to each other surrounded by a dozen mangled bodies. Neither were bothered by the bloody scene and were in pristine condition, not a speck of blood on them.

" **You may now enter the adjoining room. However, there will be a test designed specifically for each of you. Pass this test and you will then proceed."**

They watched as a part of the stone wall groaned and shifted, revealing a walkway for them to exit. As they entered through the passage, the door closed behind them. Nallui eyed the two separate pathways and just as she was about to voice her question, the mechanical speaker did first.

" **Applicant #44, Hisoka, enter the left passage. Applicant #88, Zurui, enter the right passage. Succeed in your test and you will proceed on the other side."**

"Well, let's get moving. I'm starting to get bored again and I want to see my brothers~"

Hisoka chuckled at her childish reasoning in such an otherwise dangerous situation but splayed his arms out in the direction of the right passageway, inviting her to go. "I'll see you on the other side Koneko-chan~"

Nallui nodded with a smile his way and skipped toward her entryway. Once inside the sliding stone doorway slid shut while another within the room slid open to reveal a rather shocking sight. A single chair was within the centre of the room and strapped upon it was a young boy with strikingly familiar silver-white hair.

Taken aback by the sudden sight of her little brother, Nallui frowned and tilted her head, considering the situation. Killua was struggling in his binds and looking up at her with searching, frightened eyes. His wrists were behind his back while his ankles were red and sore from the tight rope constricting his movement.

_That was the first thing she noticed._

Killua whispered her name brokenly, a pleading tone to his voice that made him truly look his age. "Nallui…"

_That was the second thing._

" **How far are you willing to go to succeed? Just how much are you willing to sacrifice to reach your goals?"** the mechanical voiced asked with a hint of mocking, as though it was riling her up intentionally.

Nallui was stood still as she watched Killua writhe to escape, his skin was sweaty and his wide, blue eyes were dazed and confused at why his sister wasn't rushing in to help him. "Nallui! Please, please, help me!" he cried brokenly, but Nallui was stood frozen in place, her cold stare drilling into his own.

_That was the third. And last._

Taking steady steps forward, she reached the chair her little brother was tied to and bent down to come face to face with his. She brought two fingers to his chin to raise his eyes to hers and the boy reared back at the icy coldness that greeted him. "Nallui…" he whispered but froze when she began to giggle.

The girl smothered her giggles with her hand and looked down at her brother with a contemptuous look. "If there's one thing Killu knows, then it's not to beg for his life when it's in my hands," she said and without a flinch, slit the boy's throat with the blades of her fan.

The boy stared wide-eyed at her actions, his eyes shining in betrayal but Nallui was unmoved as she watched him bleed out. She saw as his pale and soft skin slowly transformed into a dark brown and hairy texture. Her brother's delicate features became rough and his mouth extended to reveal jagged teeth.

_Just as I suspected. Another poor imitation intended to catch me out and play on my emotions._

Nallui looked up to where she thought the camera was hidden within the room and smiled mischievously, a finger tapping against her chin. "Too bad, try again next time~" she sang mockingly.

"Maybe next time you'll research better and understand that I would have slit my own throat before laying a hand on my brother~" with a mocking peace-sign toward the hidden camera, Nallui calmly walked out of the sliding stone doorway and was faced again with the magician.

"Have fun?" she asked him, taking note of the shallow cuts on his shoulder and midriff. "At least somebody did."

Hisoka looked down at his wounds with a creepy smile, humming his pleasure. "Just a small fry that wanted revenge. How about you?" he pointed toward the splatter of blood on the neck of her white kimono and Nallui looked down with a nonchalant expression.

"Oh? They got a creature to impersonate Killu and I slit its throat."

Hisoka stared at her calm expression before chuckling deeply. He moved to stand beside her and threw an arm over her shoulder, leading them both out and through an empty corridor. They soon came upon another sliding door and once going through it, they heard their arrival announcement.

" **Applicants #44, Hisoka and #88, Zurui are the first and second to pass the Third Phase.  
Total time, 3 hours and 46 minutes."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested to know what Nallui noticed about the Killua impersonator, then 1) was that they'd tied him up with rope, something their training would have allowed them to escape easily. 2) was Killua calling her 'Nallui' and not 'Nallu' or 'nee-san'. 3) him begging for his life, which the real Killua knows Nallui would never consider killing him.


	6. phase three ends

The room they had to spend the remaining of their time was barren and made entirely of stone. The pair had entered through one of the many doors that were circulating the room and realising that all they could now do was wait, Hisoka had invited the girl to sit and play cards with him.

That was the scene the next contestant to pass walked into. **"Contestant #301, Gittarackur is the third to pass the Third Phase. Total time, 6 hours and 12 minutes."**

Nallui shot up at the announcement and forgetting the cards in her hands she sprang forward to jump upon her brother's body with a squeal. "Illu-ni!~"

The man caught her small form easily and allowed her to wrap her legs around his waist and press kisses to his neck. "I missed you," she whispered hungrily, suddenly feeling the deep ache within her to be closer to her brother.

Illumi hummed but continued to stare at the smirking magician that had been left to sit on the floor, playing cards splayed all around him. "Hello, _oni-chan_ ~" Hisoka said mockingly and took satisfaction in the tightening of Illumi's eyes.

Nallui ignored their little battle of dominance to cup her brother's face and press their lips together eagerly, moaning into the kiss and Illumi gripped her hair to pull her in deeper. Both of them ignored the chuckling magician behind them. She pulled back with a content hum, basking in being with her beloved brother again.

_Ahh, I'd forgotten just how easily I miss Illu-ni's presence despite only being apart for so little time. Speaking of missing her brother…_

"You didn't happen to see Killu, did you?" she asked but sighed when her brother shook his head no, moving to sit down beside Hisoka, pulling Nallui onto his lap. The girl shuffled to get comfortable and only whined a little when her brother placed the kitsune mask back onto her face.

"Is Koneko-chan missing her little brother?~" Hisoka purred as he watched the twins interactions with his chin resting on his palm. Those golden eyes took in the intimacy between both Zoldyck's and the unrestrained desire they displayed so casually, so _unabashedly_.

Nallui nodded her head and if they could see her expression, they'd see the pout she wore. "I planned on going with them through this phase too, but I triggered the trap door without realising…"

"I'm sure the little Zoldyck can take care of himself, no?"

"That's not the point!" Nallui said with only a hint of whine within her voice. "What if he kills somebody and I miss it? I'd never forgive myself! Missing such a precious sight…" she trailed off in dreamland and both men looked at her as she fantasised about watching her little brother commit murder.

Hisoka chuckled. " _My, my~_ I knew you had a brother complex, but I never realised it ran so deep," he whispered provocatively. "Does your forbidden love extend to all your brothers- "

Before Hisoka could finish his sentence he was cut off by the feel of a sharp blade drawing blood upon his neck. The magician blinked before smiling creepily at the girl's excellent display of skill.

"Please refrain from talking about my siblings in such a manner. I do not care for your _questionable_ tastes, but stay away from my little brother or else I will _end you_."

The man purred with absolute delight at her unleashed anger and took a glance to see Illumi's disguised face pinched in controlled bloodlust. The magician knew not to cross the Zoldyck's in general but the twins, in particular, were a frightening concept. _Especially when it came to their family._

It made him shiver in delight.

He leant forward further into her bladed fan and moaned as it cut deeper into his skin, looking up at the masked-girl with a wide leer. "I promise, _Koneko-chan_ ~"

Like a switch had been released, Nallui pulled back and sheathed her fan. With a clap, her bloodlust diminished and she clapped her hands. "Very well, I'm glad we have that sorted." She turned to her brother and ran a finger across his sharp jawline, eyeing the multiple pins sticking out of his face and sighed forlornly. "When can we finally take these disguises off, Illu-ni? I miss seeing your face."

"When the Exam has finished," was his monotone reply and the girl sighed. She fell back to lean against his chest and watched as Hisoka expertly shuffled his cards.

She wasted away the following hours between watching her brother and Hisoka go against one another in a riveting game of poker and eyeing every new contestant that entered through the sliding doors.

* * *

" **Three minutes remain."**

Nallui twitched at the reminder of the current time left within Phase Three and looked up at Illumi, who had taken to threading her long dark hair with nimble fingers, twisting the strands back into their twin plaits. Hisoka remained seated beside them and the combination of his sheer intimidating aura, Illumi's Gittarackur appearance and Nallui's excessive displays of affection were keeping the rest of the contestants at a distance.

Many of them were killers themselves, however, the odd trio made the hair on their arms stand on end and their natural instincts screamed at them to _stay away_. The small group were not even doing anything remotely threatening, in fact, quite the opposite as they sat peacefully and chatted amongst themselves. Yet, they exuded such a thick, threatening aura that anybody smart enough to listen to their survival instincts knew to keep a distance.

_They were natural predators and saw everybody else as prey._

"Something wrong, Koneko-chan?" Hisoka asked and Nallui hummed, her head turned to the nearest sliding door in anticipation and the slightest hint of worry. She trusted in her little brother, of course. He had been an ample student and was smarter than most adults she knew. However, while the exam had been not worth a sweat on Nallui's brow, her precious Killu was still naïve when it came to tackling social situations and teamwork. She was more worried that he had crossed the wrong group of people and had gotten himself stuck in a situation where the majority mattered most.

 _One cannot always win on their own. Sometimes, a situation arises that requires allies._ Once again her father's words ran through her head; the very mantras that had been drilled into her skull throughout childhood.

"Otouto has not arrived."

Illumi did not pause in his movements as deft fingers wrapped the ribbon around the ends of her second plait, letting the locks drop to rest against her side. Those same hands cupped her chin and brought her face back to look up at him. "Zoldycks do not worry," he said so quietly that only the three of them would hear.

"When it comes to Killu, I will always worry. Zoldyck or not," she retorted.

Hisoka hummed at their words, watching Nallui with inquisitive eyes. "What is it about this little brother of yours that elicits such raw emotions, hm?" he whispered huskily. "I think I'd like to meet the one who can get my little Koneko-chan so high-strung~"

Nallui stared back into the magician's face with her blank mask and without allowing her aura to suffocate everybody within the room, she released just enough to warn the smirking man in front of her. "You will keep your hands and eyes away from Killu or else I will _eviscerate_ _you_. Am I clear?" she whispered coldly. The ice could practically be felt in her tone and Hisoka shivered, though for a completely different reason.

"I already promised you he would be safe, no?~ I'm just interested why you're so worried for your little brother and not _oni-chan_ here?" the magician pointed one of his playing cards toward Illumi, who had been watching their interaction with Gittarackur's sharp eyes.

"Killu is _ours_ ," she hissed possessively, her sharp nails digging into Illumi's skin. "I would kill everybody in this room singlehandedly if he wanted me to. He could be _joking_ and I would still display all your dead bodies in front of him without hesitation. _I would kill myself for him._ Does that make it clear enough for you, _Hisoka_?"

Hisoka had watched with burning eyes as she hissed out her promises, the shiver within his body intensifying to the point where he could not control his body's natural reaction and while the restrained snarl that Illumi sent his way was certainly humorous, Hisoka could not have hidden the all-consuming lust he felt at that moment if he'd even tried.

" _Hmm~_ How I wish I could see your eyes while you speak such dark promises, Koneko-chan~"

Nallui was about to retort but was cut off by the grumbling of a sliding door and as every eye in the room turned to glance at the last arrivals, the girl jumped from her brother's lap and sped gracefully across the room with a childish glee so contrasted to her previous demeanour.

The abrupt changes in personality would have given anybody whiplash but Nallui wasn't completely right in the first place. _Unless being a deadly assassin that was in a romantic and sexual relationship with her twin brother and who was obsessed with her little brother was normal._

Nallui Zoldyck was completely fucked up and nobody could blame her for it. Does one blame a rabid dog whose owner had trained it to snap at anybody who passes? Can you blame a mother bear for ripping hunters apart for defending its cubs?

"Killua!" she said happily as she came skipping their way. "Gon, Kurapika, Leorio," she quickly added the rest of their names afterwards when the smaller Zoldyck rose a brow at her earnest greeting. She disregarded the portly man with the blue tunic completely, uncaring of who or how he was.

The boys all greeted her, the blonde moving to her side with a genuine smile.

Nallui looked at his face, noticing the dark smudges that covered his pale skin. "Run into trouble?" she asked, head tilting to the side in her usual inquisitive manner.

"Zurui!" Gon greeted her loudly, a bright grin on his face. Turning to the boy she splayed a delicate bandaged hand upon his spiky hair and patted the soft locks soothingly. Gon brightened at her attention and smiled even wider up at her.

Killua watched their interaction through narrowed eyes, seemingly jealous. Nallui peeked at her little brother's expression with interest and wondered who he was jealous of, herself or Gon? _Does my little Killu have a crush? Oh…I'm blushing just thinking about it._

Though, if this were true she supposed her parents wouldn't be pleased. Both Illumi and Nallui suspected that their parents knew of their _unique_ relationship but didn't feel the need to intervene so long as they brought no shame upon their family name and continued completing their missions efficiently. After all, neither needed to provide an heir as Killua would be the next head Zoldyck. However, this is where the trouble precisely lay…

If father were to deny Killua his choice of partner, he would undoubtedly rebel and run away again. Only this time, it would be much further away. _And forever_. Such a thing was _never_ allowed to happen and Nallui would get rid of her parents herself before it could come true. It didn't matter their difference in skill or Nen. Nallui's sheer determination to keep Killua by her side would give her the ability to finish off anybody that stood in her way.

"All five of us managed to survive thanks to Gon!" Leorio said and grinned goofily down at the young boy, who smiled back.

"What were your tests?" Nallui asked, finding their roughed-up appearances and the amount of time it took them to pass intriguing. She couldn't imagine anything that would give her brother a hard time and so was very curious about what they had been faced with.

" **The Third Phase of the Exam is over. Twenty-Five applicants have successfully passed."** The mechanical voice regarded the remaining contenders as they were all ushered out of the dank and gloomy trick tower and into the moonlight. Nallui happily followed her little brother and his friends into the stationed airship, waving a hand toward Illumi and Hisoka as she disappeared from their view.

"So?" she asked again, getting the four's attention.

" _So?_ " Leorio repeated in confusion.

"What were your tests?" she reminded them. The group all adopted understanding expressions and Kurapika took the lead in explaining their individual tasks, including the many multiple-choice arguments they'd had with Tonpa and their vs battle with some of the world's most dangerous people. When the blonde tried to hastily describe Killua's fight with a vague line about the boy finishing it quickly, Nallui turned to the Zoldyck herself.

"What?" he asked with narrowed eyes, confused at the intensity behind her stare despite wearing such a blank mask.

"How did you defeat somebody so much stronger? Hm? Don't leave the details out, they're the best part~"

Leorio shifted awkwardly at her word choice while Killua's expression became thoughtful. He brought up a hand and casually morphed it into a sickening claw-like weapon, where his nails were razor sharp and the veins stood out horrendously. It was a truly fearful sight yet Nallui did not squirm for the sight was only too familiar. After all, she could do the very same thing herself.

Manipulating her tone to sound genuinely shocked, she _oohed_ and _ahhed_ at the sight. Though, when the boy told her nonchalantly of how he'd ripped the heart out of his opponent in one go, Nallui struggled to hold back her body's natural reaction.

_Maybe I am more like Hisoka than I'd like the admit._

The girl forgot her restrain for a moment and cupped Killua's face within her soft hands, watching in fascination as his face became flushed in red and pink as she closed the distance between them and nuzzled their faces together – the closest she could get to a forehead kiss while wearing her mask.

The rest of the group watched on blankly at the rather sudden intimate scene while Nallui pulled back and smiled as her little brother spluttered expletives.

"W-What?! What was _that_ for all of a sudden?"

Nallui giggled and waved his rebuttals away, happy now in her dreamland as she tried picturing the scene he had described in her mind. She could just see the way her precious Killu's face would adopt a mocking, playful edge as he toyed with his opponent, adopting his big sister's traits without even realising it. It was scarily perfect just how the parallels to herself and Killua continued to hold strong. If their looks were not proof enough, then the fact that the young boy became much like herself when killing was another plus.

_Ahh...I'm getting excited just thinking about it! I wish it were **me** Killu was killing! I can just imagine it now, the way he'd look into my eyes so seriously while whispering how he'd always wanted to touch my heart with his own hands…_

"It'd be warm…just for you," she whispered dreamily, paying no attention to the bewildered and uncomfortable audience to her fantasies.

"Well…" Kurapika trailed off, glancing at the girl who was swaying with her hands to the sides of her mask, her mind clearly off in the dream world, though for whatever reason the group of four could not figure out. What was it about Killua's rather gruesome story that inspired such daydreaming?! "I suggest we find somewhere to rest until we're called for the next phase."

"Good idea! And would it kill them to put on a light dinner? I'm starving!" Leorio complained, patting his grumbling stomach with a disgruntled frown. Gon, who as usual went along with everybody else's plans with a smile on his face, had grabbed a hold of a flustered Killua and declared that they _had_ to adventure some more!

The blonde had turned to the masked girl to invite her also, only to frown and pause in his movements as he watched her walk dazedly in the opposite direction.

"Zurui? Aren't you coming?" he asked politely. Gon too, watched her leave with a childish pout.

"Zurui! But I wanted to tell you all about my own test! No fair, you only got to listen to Killua's!"

The girl stopped walking but didn't turn to face them, only raising a hand in a nonchalant wave. "I'm feeling a little…pent up from all the waiting around. I'm going to go find Gittarackur. I'll see you guys later, hm? And Gon, you can tell me all about it when I return, ok?"

The young boy only hummed in agreement, finding her actions a little unusual but eventually brushed it off, especially when Killua whispered something about ' _girls are weird, get used to it_ '. He supposed the white-haired boy would know, remembering when he'd said he had two sisters himself and so Gon smiled and waved to Zurui goodbye along with the others.

* * *

"I wonder how Killu is doing with his friend."

Sharp teeth bit into the sensitive plush of her lips, hard. Glancing up from under thick lashes she met the dark, piercing stare. "Do not talk about other men when I'm doing this to you." His voice was deep and the warning rang loud and clear. "Do not think of anybody else."

She hummed lightly, her eyes staring far off as she thought about her little brother despite his words. "Don't be like that. Killu's my darling brother."

"And I'm your twin," Illumi stated blandly. Nallui blinked slowly. Once, twice. She let out a breath.

"I guess that's true…" she muttered pursing her lips. "But you're different. _We're_ different."

Illumi continued to stare at her, his dark eyes were to others so hard to decipher but Nallui could easily read the emotions that whirred within. Annoyance at being interrupted. Anger at her mentioning of anybody but him. Possession. Lust. Nallui could see them all as clear as day and she idly ran her fingers down his jaw, mapping out the pale flesh with her gaze.

"You are mine."

Nallui nodded easily to his words, not finding anything wrong with the demanding tone. She _was_ his. Utterly and completely. Just like she was his, he was hers. Wholly.

"And you're mine, too." She spoke softly, pressing an open mouth kiss at the sensitive area just below his ear, subsequently missing the darkening desire that was shining from those dark eyes. Though Nallui could feel the oppressive atmosphere thicken around them, her mind wandered back to silvery-white locks and bright blue eyes.

As though sensing her mind had again wandered, Illumi pulled back and held her chin, his grip was hard but not painful. Just enough to get her undivided attention. "Do not think of others," Illumi repeated lowly.

"You shouldn't be jealous of Killu, Illu-ni. Of course I'm going to think of him."

"At a time like this?" he questioned rhetorically, referring to their dishevelled state of undress and the obvious signs of salacious activities. Bite marks and blooming bruises decorating pale flesh. Her legs were either side of his body, sitting on his lap with arms thrown around his neck. His strong arms kept her flush to his body, their chests pushed together tightly.

"Don't be sour. You know you're my favourite."

"Liar."

Nallui grinned slyly at his blunt denial. "Am I so obvious?"

Illumi stared at her with narrowed eyes. Nallui pouted and kissed his exposed neck to make up for her honesty. "Illu-ni~" she whined. "Killu might be my favourite but you don't count…you're not _only_ my brother, hm?" She cupped thin hands upon his jaw to bring his blank stare to her own, pressing their foreheads together to gaze into his eyes. "You're my other half. A part of me. There's no need to choose between you when you're simply an extension of myself. Hm?"

Her brother's dark aura diminished bit by bit as he listened to her words, dark eyes clearing from their eerie blankness. His hand shot out to curl around her neck, long fingers easily wrapping their way around the thin column of skin. Nallui didn't blink and simply stared.

"You will choose me. Every time," he commanded.

"I will choose Killu if he demands it of me."

He didn't appreciate her words as his grip tightened considerably, the pressure dangerously cutting off her air supply. Nallui stared her brother down.

"You'd do anything he asked?" he whispered lowly. Dangerously.

"Yes."

"Even if it went against my plans?"

"Yes."

Eyes narrowed. "If Killu ordered my death?"

Nallui blinked once. Twice. "I'd kill you and then myself."

They stared at one another in silence before Illumi pulled her closer, crushing their lips together harshly. Nallui panted into the kiss, a tongue peeking out to taste the sweetness that had spread from her own lips onto his own. She was thankful for the cherry lip balm she'd applied as its flavour sparked across her taste buds as she tempted his lips to part before diving inside, exploring with fervour. They pulled apart, lips numb from the rough kiss and a trail of saliva connecting their slick lips as they breathed against one another, staring with burning eyes.

"I would burn down the entire world for you, Illu-ni. I would kill every single person on this planet if you asked me. But if Killu wished for your death, then I would grant it before following you immediately." Nallui's expression showed how serious her words were, unblinking and unfazed at such grand declarations.

"I could not live without you, yet I could not think to deny him anything…" she sighed longingly as she thought about her little brother. "Don't worry, Illu-ni. We both know Killu is too good to ever ask me for that."

"I know," Illumi said.

It was obvious that despite the multitude of torture and pain their parents had put Killua through, the boy didn't wish for their deaths. Nallui knew Killua simply wanted to escape their family's clutches, not eradicate them for good. She knew he cared for herself, Alluka and likely Kalluto, at least. And those he didn't actively like, such as Illumi and Milluki…Nallui was confident he didn't wish for their deaths. Only to maybe never see them again. It hurt her to think about, the dream of her perfect family seemingly evading her grasp no matter what she did to prevent it. Her dream only moved further and further away from her sights.

As skilled as she was, Nallui was only a single person. She could kill a small army single-handedly without breaking a sweat but emotional matters were an entirely different ballpark. Their parents were clearly ill-suited to care for their children, Illumi had pushed Killua too far, Milluki disliked everybody but their mother and Alluka had been locked away like some guilty secret. Nallui only felt despair whenever she thought rationally about her family's situation and had to reign in her rising panic. Nallui knew that Kalluto would happily follow his big sister with whatever she told him and Killua would too, so long as said plans didn't involve Illumi…

How was she supposed to pick between her siblings? Nallui wanted to bring her precious Killu home, cuddle Kallu closer, have Millu finally learn to appreciate the things she did for him and to release poor little Allu. As for Illumi…her twin was stubborn and believed he knew best, but Nallui could see his flaws and how that same pride was what had pushed Killua away.

How could Nallui salvage her crumbling family? _I want nothing more than to see them all happy and safe…even if that means no more assassinations or family traditions. We can create a new family. What is the right thing to do in order to make my family happy?_

Illum's thumb grazed over her plump lower lip as his eyes trailed the red left in its wake and as Nallui stared up into her brother's face, she felt like she might understand the answer.


	7. hunter or hunted?

It was the following day that found all of the remaining contestants gathered close as they listened to a man with a purple mohawk and glasses, who identified himself as Lippo, congratulate them on succeeding to pass Trick Tower. Nallui was standing between Gittarackur and Hisoka, which left them a wide berth from the other contestants.

"Only the Fourth phase and Final phase remain," Lippo said which caught Nallui's immediate attention. If only two more phases remained, then depending on how long they took each, it seemed like her little brother would soon be coming home!

The man pointed his thumb to indicate the island directly visible across the ocean and the contestants all looked on in interest, shocked when he explained that the Fourth phase would take place on the titled 'Zevil Island'.

Next, a box was wheeled out which drew their attention. "You will now draw lots to determine who will _hunt_ and who will be _hunted_ ," Lippo said with a devilish grin, finding pleasure in the squirms of the weaker-willed contestants.

"I guess it'll be a little more interesting…" Nallui mumbled. Hisoka hummed his agreement, looking down at her with a golden glint in his eyes. "I do hope _I'll_ be the one lucky enough to hunt my dear Koneko-chan~"

Nallui was unceremoniously pulled back into a hard chest while an arm curled around her possessively. She looked up to see Gittarackur's narrowed eyes looking at the magician shrewdly. "Zoldycks seldom make friends, I would hate to have to kill one of mine."

Despite the iciness to his tone, the words took Nallui by surprise. She hadn't realised her brother considered the mischievous magician a friend and cocked her head to the side as she regarded the red-haired man in a new light.

"Hmm~ Well, if oni-chan considers you his friend, then you're mine too."

Hisoka seemed shocked by her casual remark, blinking once before a smirk curled his lips, bigger than ever. " _I'm honoured_ ~" he purred and lowered his voice even further as he whispered. "I make sure to look after my _special_ friends, Koneko-chan."

"I look forward to it~" Nallui replied, blatantly ignoring the sexual implications of the magician's words. She looked up at her brother with a cute tilt of the head, causing the small bells tied to the mask to chime. "We made a new friend, oni-chan. How wonderful."

The girl's words were so innocent that neither man refuted her claim and Illumi simply nodded his head in agreement, a small hum as his reply.

Whilst they had been talking the examiner had been explaining the reasoning behind the contestants drawing lots and while they clearly had been having their own conversation, the three of them were skilled enough to be able to multitask and so joined back into the discussion without missing a beat, understanding what had been said just as well.

"Now, will the first person come forward?" Lippo asked with a flourish and Hisoka, ever confident, stepped forward and retrieved a numbered card from the box.

The magician stared at the number in his hands blankly before placing it within the sash around his waist. Next, Nallui stepped forward and smiled behind her mask as she heard the surprised gasps of her brother's little group of friends. She wasn't sure why they were surprised. Though they didn't know of her true identity and likely took her child-like form to mean little when it came to physical combat or dangerous situations.

_Maybe they've already forgotten the man I decapacitated in front of them…who knows._

She skipped forward and placed a small hand into the box, rummaging around with glee to pick a random card. When she'd finally decided on which to pick, her hand shot out and she eagerly peered at the number staring back at her.

**#294**

She perked up as she quickly scanned through the remaining contestant's numbers, all of which she had already memorised. It was just a matter of narrowing down those left. Once her mind conjured the image of the bald-headed, self-proclaimed ninja who wore a red scarf and bandages similar to her own, she giggled creepily.

The laugh sent an eerie chill to those waiting for their own turn. While nobody could see her expression, the almost tangible aura surrounding her clued them in enough. She knew who her target was and clearly took delight in whoever had been chosen.

Gittarackur went next and if their general aura of intimidation and natural confidence wasn't enough to shake the competition, then the simple fact that _all three_ of them had finished Trick Tower first, was. Gittarackur only glanced at the number on his card before moving back to his original position, caging an arm around Nallui again.

When the next contestant moved forward to take their card, Nallui was pleased to see the aforementioned bald ninja. This only confirmed to her that he was strong if he'd finished fourth in the last task. She could vaguely remember hearing the man celebrate his victory when he'd walked through the sliding doorway of the tower, but she'd been too busy pressing kisses to Illumi's neck to notice.

Now though, she was glad to be given at least some semblance of excitement in the next task. As the final person – the small round man in the blue tunic – took his card, they were told that several days would be spent on Zevil Island. The examiner explained that they would not only be hunting their targets but trying to survive the vast wilderness and avoiding their own badges being stolen.

As though in sync, the majority of the contestants covered the badges upon their bodies from the sharp eyes around them, realising that they would gain a huge advantage if the person hunting them couldn't remember who owned said number.

Neither Zoldyck moved and allowed their badges to stay upon their clothing for all to see. Hisoka, too, didn't attempt at concealing the #44 that sat proudly upon his chest. None of them truly felt like this phase would be difficult and almost welcomed the challenge presented by whoever had been unfortunate enough to draw their lot.

"The goal is to steal your target's card. Simple, no?" Lippo said with an evil grin.

"So we don't have to kill each other…" one contestant breathed a sigh of relief, his face showing fear at the potentiality of death.

"Naturally, you are free to use whatever method you see fit to retrieve the tags you need. _Even murder_."

The boy who had spoken before gulped while those around them shifted uncomfortably. Those of stronger wills wore determined expressions at the prospect of having to kill to survive the next phase. They were all here for a reason, after all, and the small obstacle of murder wasn't anything to get upset about if you wanted to become a professional Hunter.

"Your target's ID is worth three points," Lippo demonstrated on his fingers. "Your own ID is also worth three points. All other ID tags are only worth one point. If you wish to pass, you must accumulate a total of six points. This is the condition for successfully clearing the Fourth Phase of the Hunter Exam."

With his speech said and the contestants caught up on the rules, they were all then led onto the boat that would take them across the water and onto Zevil Island.

Nallui spent the majority of the journey sat upon the edge of the boat and staring off into the scenery, finding the clear sky and light breeze a wonderful feeling after being stuck inside of Trick Tower for so long and then pushed inside of the airship for the night.

The sea was a brilliant blue that reminded the girl of her little brother's eyes. She kicked her feet in a childish manner as they sped across the ocean, ignoring the woman speaking to the passengers behind her. She knew all she needed about the next phase and wasn't curious enough to bother learning more.

Instead, she was contemplating on what to do to waste away a week of her time. Normally, while on a mission that would require infiltration for a long period, the female Zoldyck would integrate herself so fully to her role that she barely noticed the slow passage of time. She would adopt the mannerisms and schedule of her fake identity even when out of sight, which she found made her job easier.

 _The best lies are the ones shrouded in truth._ Silva Zoldyck's advice given to her on her first infiltration mission as a child still rang true to this day.

The wind blew her plaits wildly and as she caught sight of the black locks she frowned from behind her mask. She was becoming impatient with her disguise as the days passed, wanting more and more to run her fingers through the usual silvery-white strands. It was a sentimental wish that should have already been stamped out of her mind by their family's training, however, Nallui stubbornly clung on to any facet of emotional sentiment that related to Killua. Even the likeness between herself and Illumi was something she cherished dearly.

Nallui, at the end of the day, despite her disregard for morals and cold-blooded personality, was weak for her siblings. While she could care less what happened to her parents and grandfather, she could admit, if only to herself, that her biggest weakness was the most obvious one. _Family_.

The female Zoldyck believed wholly in understanding one's own weakness and dominating every asset of it so that you were never caught out if somebody used it against you.

Her philosophy was to never allow anybody to even _think_ of using it against her in the first place, a bold goal when her weakness amounted to five separate humans that all had wills of their own and could not be so easily controlled. Nallui wanted to gather all of her siblings and hide them in a remote location where nobody else could find them. She wanted to keep them to herself and ensure that they never had to leave, providing anything and everything they could ever want.

But Nallui knew better. She knew this was an impossible goal.

Her younger brother Milluki would be easy enough to protect, what with his otaku tendencies and selfish desires. Nallui knew that so long as she provided him with the newest technology and fancy foods then he'd be happy to stay wherever she chose. Kalluto, too, would be content with such a life. The youngest Zoldyck had only known a life of solitude so far, being secluded upon Kukuroo mountain with their parents who had not yet seen it fit to send him out.

The problem lay with the other two siblings, Killua and Alluka. While one desired freedom and independence, the other was locked away in a fortress.

Nallui's eyes narrowed at the thought of her sister contained deep below her family's mansion. Getting down there was a difficult task even for her as their father monitored it at all hours and wouldn't allow anybody to visit Alluka without a legitimate excuse. Nallui was exceptional at manipulation but Silva Zoldyck knew his daughter well enough to avoid falling for any of her acts.

Her father understood all too well the monsters he had created and did not allow his guard to drop with either of them, especially Nallui. She suspected he knew of her dislike for him and probably knew she would kill him without a shred of guilt if pushed to it.

The fact that he kept her younger sister locked away deep underground in a steel cage did not endear him to her at all. In fact, it only made the rage she felt simmer within her at all times boil and threaten to overspill.

Alluka was not only her sister but was the only other sibling that Killua genuinely cared for. She'd listened to her little brother complain about missing playing with Alluka after their parents had decided to contain her and had promised him to wait.

She'd promised Alluka too, that one day her big sister would come back and save her from her prison.

* * *

" _Ne, onee-chan, when will we live together?" a soft voice asked. Big, dark-blue eyes peered up with innocent curiosity._

_Nallui stared down at the girl sat within her lap with a blank expression, processing the best way to answer her question. Both sisters were sat in the room where the youngest had been imprisoned, surrounded by the mountains of abandoned plushes and toys. The room had a sickening brightness to it that made you squint when first entering and Nallui wondered if Alluka had gotten used to the fabricated positivity the room was seeped in._

" _One day, I'll come to save you and take you somewhere better. Where would you like to go, Allu?"_

_Alluka's eyes brightened and she smiled widely, showing off the gap in her baby teeth, the new ones growing in. The sight only reminded Nallui of just how young her sister was and she had to stamp down the rising anger she felt for her parents once again._

" _Alluka wants to go to the beach with onee-chan! Nanika too!"_

_The sound of Nanika's name momentarily froze Nallui and she shook off the unease, forcing herself to stay calm for the sake of her sister. She really didn't have any trouble with the being that inhabited Alluka's body, but no matter how many times she met it, the bitter taste remained in her mouth at the reminder of her failure._

_Nallui had failed to protect her sister twice now, the first being when she was inhabited by a being beyond their knowledge and the second when her parents had decided to imprison Alluka in an attempt to keep the perceived danger at bay._

_This was the truth behind Nallui's hesitance around Nanika. It wasn't that she was scared or disgusted, but that the being simply reminded her too much of her own failures and she_ _**hated** _ _that feeling._

_'A Zoldyck must mask their emotions. They must not succumb to despair or weakness' was one of their family's main rules._

" _And what does Allu want to do at the beach?" she asked, humouring the young girl. "Or does Nanika-chan have something in mind?"_

" _Hmm, I want to swim with the jellyfish!" Alluka said with a childish giggle, pointing toward the giant jellyfish plush toy that lay limp on the bed._

_It had been a joint birthday present from the twins and while Illumi had admittedly not known about it, Nallui had put a lot of thought into the gift. She'd remembered the book Alluka had loved as a toddler that told the tale of the travelling jellyfish who adventured the dangerous seas with all of its aquatic friends. Nallui had re-read the book to a younger Alluka night after night, the girl never tiring of the story._

" _Won't we get stung, Allu? Maybe we should send Illu-ni into the sea first to test it out?" she joked, smiling at the squeal the youngest let out in response._

" _No! Not Ani! The sharks might eat him!"_

" _Oh? You don't think Illu-ni would win against the sharks?"_

_Alluka shook her head 'no' with a very serious expression, which made Nallui laugh. The little girl was trying to act older as she explained all the facts about sharks she had memorised from her books, which impressed Nallui. Though, it was a very sad prospect that while the other Zoldyck children were out there, exploring the world for themselves, that Alluka had to learn about it from words within a book._

" _Ani is only human. He's sure to get hurt which would make me sad," Alluka finished and Nallui felt her stomach tighten at the image unwillingly presented to her._

_Sure, the prospect of her brother being devoured by sharks was funny enough to get a chuckle out of Nallui, but the underlying meaning beneath Alluka's words hit a little too close to home. At the end of the day, Illumi was only human like everybody else and no matter how powerful, he could still succumb to death. All of her siblings could and Nallui realised with a growing sense of dread that in their line of business, such an end was almost inevitable._

_With a death-grip upon the plushie in her free hand Nallui squeezed the life out of the stuffed animal as she let her anger and fear take over for a moment. She was only brought out of it by the soft sensation of a hand upon her cheek._

_Looking down at Alluka, she was instead greeted by the blank eyes of Nanika._

_Nallui stopped herself from flinching as those empty eyes stared straight into her soul and pursed her lips as the being spoke with her sister's lips._

" _Is onee-chan sad?"_

_Its voice was a stark contrast to Alluka's sweet melody and Nallui only stopped herself from fleeing the room with sheer willpower. She had promised herself that she would try separating Nanika from what it represented for her own failures and so she forced herself to answer back as though nothing was wrong._

_The first step was to stop referring to Nanika as 'it', even within her own mind. It resided within Alluka and so it should be 'she', instead. She had given Alluka the courtesy and so she could do the same to Nanika, too._

" _No. Ane is fine, Nanika," she said softly, bringing a hand to brush her sister's locks. "I was just thinking of Illu-ni being eaten by sharks. It was funny." Her voice was a little strained but Nanika didn't take any notice and instead only cocked her head to the side._

" _I wouldn't like it if oni-chan was eaten by sharks. Or onee-chan!"_

" _Me neither, I bet it would hurt."_

" _Alluka would cry if onee-chan was hurt. Me too." The words were so simple but they hit Nallui right in the gut and blinking back tears – something she hadn't done since she was a baby – she smiled shakily and met Nanika's blank stare._

" _Hm. I would cry if Alluka or Nanika were hurt too. I promise to keep you both safe."_

* * *

Nallui blinked back the tears threatening to spill from behind her mask, cursing herself for allowing such a weakness to break through. Though after some time reminiscing, she realised that after the Hunter Exam her first priority would be to check up on her siblings and begin her plan to keep them all together.

Her reminiscing came to an end perfectly in time with the boat docking upon Zevil Island and the contestants were greeted by the sight of lush greenery and a thick, dense forest. It was clear that the island was ideal to get lost in and perfect for a situation such as this where multiple people were playing a lethal game of cat and mouse.

They were instructed to walk off of the boat in the order they had finished the third phase, showing yet again that privileges came to those who continued to win. Hisoka walked off the boat with a confident swagger, disappearing into the forest and out of sight. Nallui followed afterwards but stood to wait on the grassy land.

Those onboard watched her with confusion and the female instructor frowned. "Excuse me, #88, you may go into the forest!" she said loud and clear but Nallui waved her away as she stood waiting with an easy-going aura.

"Don't worry, I'm only waiting for someone and then I'll leave!~"

The woman looked baffled at her choice but as it didn't go against the rules and Nallui was clearly _on_ the island, she could do nothing but wait until her stopwatch beeped again, indicating that the next contestant could leave.

When Gittarackur walked across the wooden plank and onto the island, his body twitching and clicking as he went, Nallui jumped in place and brought her hands together in a clap. "Oni-chan! Let's go explore, ne?~"

Gittarackur continued walking towards the treeline and Nallui happily followed suit, only pausing to briefly wave at Killua and his friends who watched on with amused bewilderment. They had all experienced her unique personality and so weren't that surprised at anything she did anymore, however, the other contestants watched the small girl skip beside the creepy pin-man with wide eyes.

"I'm super excited to crush my target, oni-chan! I can go all out this time!" her innocent tone didn't hide the ruthless danger behind her words and the weaker-willed contestants gulped at the prospect of being her chosen target.

While Gittarackur and Hisoka were certainly creepy and dangerous, there was something about a tiny girl wearing a kitsune mask declaring in a child-like voice that she was going to _crush_ her opponent that sent fear down their spines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I changed a few things about the whole card reveal thing because it just worked better written that way. Also, we have a little Nallui-introspection (more like a LOT) I'm sorry for those who don't like it but I do, and this is self-indulgence at its finest, so~
> 
> Basically, I'm writing for me and no one else. I've done it before and everyone complains and nobody is ever satisfied so now I just write for myself. If people like it too, then hey, awesome! If not, oh well~


	8. spiked lust

"Who is your target?" Illumi asked in that calm, lulling tone of his.

Nallui brought out the card she had hidden underneath her kimono and within her bra, showing him the number #294. "It's the ninja. Hmm, I think his name was… _Hanzo_?"

"Going all-out will not be necessary."

"I know, I know~" she said with a wave of her hand. The mask she was wearing had been pushed up to cover only the top half of her face and her cheeky grin was on full display. "I only said so to rile them all up a little~ They're so scared of us that I couldn't help myself."

Illumi hummed and Nallui could almost hear the pleased undertone it held. Her brother had a certain… _fixation_ for his sister's over-confidence. While the Zoldycks were naturally confident in everything they did, as they had been brought up to be, they did not often show this cockiness so blatantly.

 _Overconfidence leads to oversight._ Zeno Zoldyck was a cautious man indeed, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of an individual and this was one of the most important things he'd told his grandchildren.

Though, right now, Nallui had every right to be flippant in regards to the bald ninja. She certainly commended his efforts and could already see the hidden strength he had yet to really demonstrate but at the end of the day, whether it came from raw power or skill, Nallui far exceeded him. This was not herself getting a big-head, only the cold, hard truth.

The female Zoldyck would give the ninja the credit of a proper and fair hunt as she planned on not hunting him down until a couple of days had passed. She was content to wait the first few days out frolicking around the island until she took action.

"Who is lucky enough to have my Illu-ni's attention this time?" she asked.

"#371." Illumi did not retrieve the card as he had already disposed of it before boarding the boat, finding the extra accessory unnecessary. Nallui kind of wished she'd done the same thing but was unwilling to throw it somewhere on the ground. _I might kill people for a living but littering? I'm not some common thug._

Nallui's mind quickly ran through the people left and paused at the image of a dark-haired man that frequently carried a large spear in his hand. She didn't know his name and honestly didn't care, happy now that she knew who her brother would be hunting, though a little sad that she wouldn't be witnessing anything exciting. Another thought came to mind and she blinked, chuckling to herself at getting so easily side-tracked, too caught up in her excitement of the chase.

"I wonder who has our numbers?" she pondered.

Illumi did not look concerned and neither was Nallui really, more curious now that she'd remembered. "I hope it's someone strong~" she sighed wistfully and perked up. "I hope it's Hisoka! Then I can _really_ go all-out," she said with a devilish grin.

Illumi's eye noticeably twitched at her words and the girl stifled her amused chuckle at just how obvious her brother was being. She found his possessive jealousy cute and couldn't stop herself from jumping into his arms and pressing wet kisses to his neck.

"Don't be sour, you know you're my favourite~" she whispered. "It would have been perfect if we'd gotten each other's numbers, don't you think?"

"Then we would be required to hunt for additional badges to pass," he answered, implying that neither of them would win and they would instead have to make up their six-points elsewhere.

Nallui blinked before giggling loudly. She smacked her hand against her brother's chest, squirming to get comfortable within his arms and tipped the mask up even further so her eyes were now visible. "Who says I'd go easy on you? Don't you want to fight me seriously, _oni-chan?_ ~"

Illumi did not deem her provocation with a response and instead focused on her previous words. "You will not be hunted by Hisoka. His target is someone else."

"Oh? Who, who?" she asked eagerly.

"#384. He does not know who it is."

Nallui did a quick scan and hummed in disappointment at her results. "It's just blowgun-san~" she said, referring to the dark-skinned man who held the large blowgun during the entire exam. He was nobody of interest and she felt bad for the magician. "How boring."

"He is going to take three separate tags instead," Illumi revealed. "I offered to tell him his target but he refused, wishing to make the trip more interesting."

"Good for Hiso-chan. I would do the same."

Illumi's eye twitched again at the spontaneous nickname she had thought of and Nallui laughed at his annoyance. "What did I say about being jealous?"

"He wishes to sleep with you. He lusts after you," Illumi said coldly. Nallui waved his words away nonchalantly.

"I have the feeling he lusts after anybody strong enough. I'm pretty sure he wants to sleep with _you_ too, oni-chan."

Illumi scrunched his nose in distaste and Nallui threw her head back and laughed at the sight of such a normal action from her normally uptight brother. "Hahaha!"

"Of course, the answer is a firm _no_ ," he said and that only added to her humour as she held her stomach as it cramped from the sudden infectious laughter.

"Why not? Hisoka is pretty handsome, no?" All she got in reply was a dangerous, narrow glare and Nallui smirked, leaning closer to nibble on the shell of his ear as her hot breath fanned across his skin.

"Does it not make you excited, Illu-ni? The thought of my small, weak body pinned between two strong men?" her voice was lowered to a sultry tone and she upped her seduction. "I'd be trapped, unable to defend myself while you both took your pleasure. I'd cry out for my oni-chan to save me while I was debauched and used."

She could tell her words were having an effect on Illumi as his lips thinned and eyes grew harder. The grip around her body that so effortlessly carried her entire weight tightened considerably, those strong hands digging into plush flesh.

She let out a squeal of delight as she was pushed against a tree, the rough bark against the thin material of her kimono was a pleasant sensation as it dug into her skin. The mask was pushed fully out of the way to lay atop her head, exposing her delicate, flushed face.

Their lips crashed together harshly while his tongue demanded entrance, mapping out her mouth expertly and causing the girl to moan. Their teeth clacked as they kissed impatiently, their form sloppy as they only took pleasure from the other. There was a wild forcefulness to their actions that neither of them minded.

Nallui's mind was clouded with lust and when Illumi pulled back from their kiss, she stared with glassy eyes at the trail of saliva that connected their lips. It was a lewd image as both twins stared into the other's eyes while they panted softly.

"Look what you do to me, Illu-ni. _Take responsibility_ ~" she purred, lowering her lashes to stare up at her brother coyly.

Illumi's face was slightly flushed, the stark paleness of his skin unable to hide the slight pink of his cheeks but his expression remained calm as he stared down at the mess he had made of her. With only the slight narrowing of his dark eyes as a sign, Nallui was unceremoniously dropped to the grass.

Landing with grace despite her surprise the girl looked up at her brother from her kneeling position. Her expression showed the pure lust she felt and she allowed her head to fall back against the tree, exposing her pale, delicate neck.

"If you want it that badly, then you'll have to take it for yourself." Illumi's words, while sounding harsh, only sent a thrill of pleasure down Nallui's spine and with an enthusiastic grin the girl used nimble fingers to loosen the baggy pants he wore.

"Don't mind if I do!~" she sang and wrapped pink lips around the hot flesh, eyes closing in pure bliss.

* * *

The first few days of their time spent on Zevil Island consisted mostly of travelling through the vast greenery and exploring each other's bodies hidden within the dense forest. Neither of them was particularly concerned with finding their targets too soon as they knew that it would only cause the rest of the week to drag in boredom. Nallui was lamenting that they even needed a _week_ to complete the task. _Couldn't the examiners have kept it to a couple of days, max?_

It was only on the fourth day that found the Zoldyck twins doing anything remotely constructive that did not include training, having sex or relaxing at the edge of the island, looking out at the sea. They hadn't come across any of the other contestants but their awareness had picked up on many aura's hidden within the forest. Even when they were sat out in the open or seemingly vulnerable during intimate moments, nobody was daring enough to come close to either twin.

Illumi had scaled a towering tree to scout the area for his target while Nallui was biding her time doing push-ups in a handstand. The girl balanced her entire weight with graceful ease as she lowered and raised herself, barely taking note of the way her muscles pulled with the movement. Her white kimono had been opened and lay on the floor beside her while her hakama had been lowered to sit upon her hips, revealing the bandages that were wrapped around her chest and arms leaving only her toned stomach on display.

She had no idea how many push-ups she'd done so far but it was almost two hours later when Illumi finally descended from the tree, falling and landing on his feet with the grace of a cat.

"You found him?" Nallui asked as she looked at her brother up-side-down.

Illumi blinked at her appearance and bent to pick up the discarded kimono while Nallui lowered her legs and stood back upright to face the other. She used the arms of the kimono to tie it around her waist, wanting to feel some of the fresh air on her body while they were in such an open environment. They rarely got to enjoy their time in foreign places and with the confidence of leaving her target-catching for another day, Nallui wanted to soak up the sunlight while it was still out.

"He is currently walking south-east from here. 7 minutes out," Illumi informed tactfully, giving the information much like he would on a mission.

Nallui nodded and so they both began running in that direction, their footsteps silent even when at such high speeds. They easily weaved themselves through the many overgrown bushes and vinery within the forest and Nallui's plaits flew behind her at their speed.

When they finally reached their destination, Illumi wasted no time in throwing a needle towards the man who had turned, shocked at their sudden appearance. The twins were only slightly surprised to see the man dodge the attack, choosing to run away from them instead of engaging in combat. Just as Illumi was about to throw another needle, this time knowing he wouldn't miss, both twins jumped apart as they felt something approaching them lightning-fast from behind.

The bullet that had been aimed at them missed and instead found the side of Illumi's intended target, though the man didn't slow down in his escape and while staggering, he soon disappeared within the dense forest. Nallui giggled at the turn of events as she paused in place, turning to look at her brother.

"Are you just going to let him run away like that?"

Illumi had turned to look right where the bullet had come from and with deadly efficiency and little effort, he threw one of his dart needles straight into the scope of the sniper's rifle, killing them instantly. Nallui whistled as she watched the sniper fall from their position high within the trees and land upon the floor in a slump. They moved closer and saw it was a middle-aged woman with a low ponytail and sunglasses.

Nallui giggled some more as she realised that the woman had tried sneaking up on them while they were both distracted with another.

"Hunter, indeed!" she chuckled. "Hunting _us_ while we were hunting others? Smart woman," she complimented but then paused as she looked at the blood soaking her forehead where the needle had pierced. She laughed even harder. "Or not so smart~"

"She forgot to take into account that her target may detect her first," Illumi commented dryly, not giving the body on the floor a second glance. He was looking toward where his target had run and his gaze narrowed in on the drops of blood left behind. Nallui giggled some more, finding the situation very amusing.

"He even left us a trail, oni-chan! He must really want us to follow him~"

"Hm, indeed." Illumi bent to search through the dead woman's pockets and took the numbered badge she had kept hidden. He passed it to Nallui who easily slipped it into the folds of her hakama.

The twins didn't rush to follow the injured man and instead followed the spots of blood that had stained the grass beneath their feet. They heard the sound of a large crash and the ground beneath them shuddered from the heavy impact of something falling.

"Did somebody else get him first? No fair~" Nallui pouted as they continued to follow the trail.

Soon, they came upon the edging of an open clearing in the forest and heard the anguished battle cry of the man they were after. He was charging straight toward a sitting Hisoka, spear in hand. Without a second's hesitation, Illumi threw one of his dart needles straight into the centre of the man's throat, another half-dozen following suit and embedding themselves into his shocked face.

"I apologise. I carelessly allowed him to escape," Illumi's synthetic voice called out, though his tone clearly held no honesty. Hisoka understood this all too well as his voice was amused.

"Liar~" he mused. "Did you feel pity enough to grant his dying wish to fall in battle?"

"The chase is the most interesting part of hunting."

Nallui giggled and skipped her way into the clearing to get a closer look at her brother's handiwork, glancing to greet the magician. "Besides, he was dead either way," she said with no remorse, crouching down to peek at the man's needle-riddled face with amusement.

She wasn't listening as her brother and Hisoka spoke behind her and instead took the badge from the man's body. She paused in her movements when her senses barely picked up something hidden not too far away before it vanished just as quickly. With the slightest tilt of her head, Nallui moved her gaze over to the bushes within the treeline and unknowingly stared right into wide, golden-brown eyes.

Though she couldn't see anything, Nallui realised there someone hiding nearby. Whoever it was had clearly been hiding before the twins had gotten there and she realised that they must have gotten Hisoka as a target.

_How lucky~ I wish we could swap…good luck on your suicide mission~_

As the pair behind her continued to talk, Nallui brought a finger up to the mouth area of her mask and pressed her finger in a shushing motion. Her back was facing the two men and so with a little wave towards the hidden figure, she turned back to join their conversation.

"We have no need for the spares," Illumi said and Nallui followed his unspoken demand to throw his target's badge his way while the other they'd caught was thrown towards Hisoka. "You're welcome~"

"Who's tag is this?" he asked as he looked down at the #80.

"Somebody who believed we would make easy targets," Illumi said dryly and Nallui giggled. "She tried sniping us while we were chasing him," she said pointing at the dead man on the ground. "It only took one hit from Illu-ni and she went tumbling down~" she sang her brother's praises.

Hisoka chuckled at their almost cruel disregard for the lives they'd so easily taken and Illumi lifted a hand to tug out one of the needles within his face. Nallui visibly perked up and was bouncing in place, almost vibrating in excitement.

"Can we finally take these out!? Ahh~ I get to finally see Illu-ni's handsome face again!"

Hisoka wore an amused smirk at her words while his eyes watched Illumi's actions. "It never ceases to amaze me when you do that~" he commented and Nallui wondered when her brother had done it before, pouting and finding it unfair that she hadn't been around! Although, perhaps it had been when she'd hung around Killua and his friends…in that case, it couldn't be helped.

When all of the pins had been removed, Gittarackur's face moved in distorted and unnatural motions, the skin and muscles transforming and re-shaping themselves until the soft pale skin and long inky-black hair she loved was revealed to their eyes. Nallui cheered and launched herself into Illumi's awaiting arms, pressing kisses across his true face.

"I've missed you, oni-chan~"

He hummed and pulled the girl into a searing kiss, blatantly ignoring their one-man audience who was watching them with too much intensity to be considered polite. Nallui jumped down and with eager movements she pulled out all of the pins from herself, staying silent as her body twitched and jolted as it began to change. Her height grew until she stood only slightly smaller than her brother and getting rid of the grips that held her hair in plaits, it began to lighten considerably until the black had completely bled out and become a pure silvery-white.

Nallui ran her fingers through the strands to straighten out the kinks from being plaited so long and hummed in satisfaction. She stretched her arms and twisted her body until her back clicked into place, her muscles strained after being transformed for so long.

The otherwise silent magician had stepped forward to cup her chin in his hand and now that she was at her original height, she no longer had to look up into his eyes.

"Won't you let me see your face again, Koneko-chan?"

Seeing nothing wrong with his request, Nallui took a hold of her mask and removed it, tying it to the kimono still wrapped around her hips. Hisoka stared at her face and a delighted smirk stretched across his lips, his eyes almost becoming slits from how narrow they were, a slither of golden shining through.

"Just as lovely as I remembered~" he whispered. His eyes took in the pure brightness of her white hair. "Though I have to say, I much prefer this colour on you. It will look lovely splashed in red."

"I don't plan on being bloody anytime soon," Nallui pointed out.

"I can easily change that~" Hisoka purred, tightening his hold on her chin. His movements were soon halted however by Illumi, who's blank eyes were drilling straight into the magicians and had his hand wrapped around Hisoka's wrist in a steel grip.

"Kindly remove your hand from my sister."

" _Oh?~_ "

Neither figure moved and Nallui rolled her eyes. "While I find your battle for dominance amusing, can I have a little space?" she asked dryly, referring to her position now trapped between both men.

Hisoka moved to give her room with his genial smile back on his face while Illumi simply dropped his hand and stood behind her like a looming shadow. Nallui turned to face Hisoka with a raised brow.

"I know you cannot help but flirt with anything that _moves_ Hisoka, but I suggest not purposely angering my brother if you wish to complete this exam."

Hisoka hummed as he looked at both twins and eyed the way they stood beside one another with a dangerous aura. The image of them both was of casual grace and intimacy, their dynamic clear without effort; with the looming Illumi shadowing his sister like a protective guard while the girl stood resolute and firm, not an inch of fear within her body as she, too, stood protectively in front of her brother. Hisoka looked at the sight of them both, _black_ and _white_ , _night_ and _day_ and licked his lips.

"Oh," Nallui muttered with a blank expression. She blinked as both twins watched Hisoka become twitchy and his usual creepy smile only grew. "I think I turned him on even more."

"He has no restraint."

The girl snickered. "Like you do? Let's be honest, oni-chan, we're very similar to our friend here when it comes to desire, only we're better at hiding it," she teased.

"Hiso-chan, while I find your inability to restrain yourself very entertaining, could you not fill the entire area with your arousal? It's rather…stifling."

Like a switch had been flipped the overwhelming and heavy aura disappeared, leaving only a trace upon the magician's being. Hisoka had covered his face as his need only grew and now peeked at them both through his fingers, eyes lowered dangerously.

"Are you still unwilling to give me what I want, Koneko-chan?"

Nallui put a finger to her chin in thought. "What is it you want, exactly?"

"You know exactly what it is. Don't play games with me~"

She pursed her lips, willing to drag their back and forth a little longer. " _Hmm~_ Was it to devour me completely? Or perhaps you'd like to watch while Illu-ni does the honours?" she hummed before lowering her eyes and letting a tendril of threatening aura escape. "Or perhaps you have the audacity in wishing to _join_ us?"

Hisoka's aura spiked. _Jackpot._

She giggled at his state of arousal and completely shut off her own dark aura, once again finding the situation very entertaining. She looked back at Illumi who was staring daggers at the magician, his face pinched.

As though sensing her unasked question, Illumi answered bluntly. " _No_."

"Come on, Illu-ni~ Don't you think it would be fun? Sharing is caring, after all."

"Good job I do not care, then," was his dry reply and Nallui laughed at his obstinacy.

"You already sleep with each other, why not take the plunge, _oni-chan?~_ " Hisoka said with a teasing lilt.

Illumi's bloodlust suddenly spiked and his eyes became shadowed. His posture was unnaturally stiff and straight while he looked directly into golden eyes, _death_ promised within his gaze alone. Hisoka raised his arms in a sign of peace but the shit-eating grin on his face was evidence enough that his submission was a front.

Nallui chuckled at how ruffled her brother could get and with a couple of kisses pressed to his neck and whispered words into his ear, Illumi calmed down enough to become only mildly annoyed at the magician. "Please do not provoke me so lightly in the future."

" _Oops~_ " Hisoka teased. He looked at the twins and raised a good question. "What are your plans now?"

"Well, I don't yet have my own target badge…maybe it's time I finally collect it."

"Oh? Such confidence?"

"Of course. I believe the only people who would cause a challenge to me would be yourself and Illu-ni," she answered honestly and Hisoka chuckled in amusement.

She turned to her brother with a smile. "I'm going to check on otouto while I'm out, too. Stay here so I can find you easily afterwards."

Illumi simply nodded at her words and so the girl pressed a kiss to his lips, ignoring Hisoka when he asked for one of his own and proceeded to scale the large tree beside them, wanting to get a clear view of the surrounding forest and catch a sight of the ninja she was hunting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody is interested in me writing explicit smut scenes where nothing is left out, please let me know and I will definitely consider putting more in! I got a comment over on ffnet about ideas and I really welcome them! While I may not include them all, it sometimes gives me inspiration when writing so please comment anything you'd like to see, etc.
> 
> Also for anybody worried about Gon knowing Nallui's true appearance, let's be real here, he didn't say anything about Illumi in canon, so Killua would still be none the wiser. Plus he won't get the chance with the vs matches happening very soon after Zevil Island (you'll see)


	9. a brother's introspection

While the female Zoldyck was renown for her talents in assassination and would, without a doubt, fulfil her duties diligently, it was not so far-fetched to believe that she could succumb to something so childish as impatience.

This trait of hers that was regularly so easily controlled was most evident when it came to one determining factor: _Killua_.

Nallui hadn't seen her little brother in days and it was beginning to strain on her limited patience. Knowing he was so close, on this very island, but she wasn't able to be beside him was nearly driving her crazy. Illumi had warned her about letting her… _impulses_ , get the better of her and while she would heed his warning to stay away from their little brother until the right time, that didn't mean she could continue sitting here knowing he was out there somewhere.

_You'll have to wait, baldy. Our fight will commence once I've seen my precious Killu!_

With her mind made up and an excited grin the girl jumped from the tree to land on another, letting herself weave between the branches with grace as she sped through the forest from above.

_Killu~ Killu~ Here I come~_

As she got closer to where her senses detected her brother's aura, she heard the faint murmurs of voices she did not immediately recognise. _Oh?_

Taking cover within the shadowed trees just above her brother's figure, she watched with a frown as three men stared at him menacingly, their postures indicating they were there with the sole intent on picking a fight.

 _Could this be…I might actually get to see Killu fight!?_ She squealed internally, wanting to giggle from joy at just how lucky she'd gotten. _Ahh, I hope he beats them down in one go~ No! That would cause the fun to end much too quickly!…I'd rather watch him torture them slowly…savour the moment._

Her internal fantasies were rudely interrupted when the smallest of the three figures walked up to her brother with a swagger that spoke of overconfidence and sent his foot flying straight into Killua's stomach, causing the boy to skid across the forest floor.

Nallui wasn't sure whether to laugh at her brother's apathetic expression, especially how he'd kept his hands in his pockets throughout the entire attack, or allow bloodlust to consume her as she ripped apart the _filth that dared lay a hand on her brother._

"Didn't I warn you?" the man jeered with a cocky grin on his face. "Bet it hurt like a bitch," one of the others joined in. The three cackled to themselves in a truly cliched manner and the girl spying on them felt her brain cells leaving at a rapid pace at such displayed idiocy. _This truly marks_ _the sign of natural incompetence at its finest._

Killua continued to lay on the ground with a blank expression on his face before deciding enough was enough and flipping himself back onto his feet with ease. His posture screamed indifference towards his attackers and it made his otherwise cute appearance seem that much more threatening. Two of the figures began teasing the one who had attacked Killua but Nallui had paused in watching her little brother's show to cock her head to the side as she picked up the trace of somebody else that had joined their little get-together.

As her eyes scoured the opposite treeline below, Nallui could not stop the truly feral grin that stretched across her unmasked face as she spotted the one man she had intended to hunt all along.

" _Found you~_ " she whispered dangerously, though not loud enough to give her position away.

Her wandering thoughts on his decision to spy were answered as she took notice of his gaze focused solely on the trio of men facing against Killua. _So he's not here for Killu_. On the one hand, Nallui was glad. However, another, smaller, part of her wished he _was_ intending to hunt her brother because if so, that would _really_ get her bloodlust spiking and what a truly wonderful show that would be.

Killua pulled out a tag from his pocket, the number #198 displayed in bold. The owner of the badge panicked at seeing such an important item so easily stolen while Killua remained standing with his hands in his pockets, the beginnings of a cocky smirk tugging at his lips.

"Since it's only one number off my target, that must mean one of your two buddies has #199, right?"

Nallui bit her lip as she watched her little brother toy with this group of grown men, finding the entire scene enthralling. Illumi would chide her for taking so much enjoyment from it, blaming Nallui's bad influence on their brother for his tendency to play with his prey first, something she enjoyed too much herself.

_There's no fun to be had with an easy kill._

Finally having come to the realisation that Killua was no ordinary child – which Nallui found utterly stupid, did they think normal kids took the Hunter Exam and survived _this_ _long_? – they tried surrounding him, getting into some kind of half-assed formation.

Nallui was blank-faced at the lack of finesse in their plan, her interest in a potential fight dwindling fast as she realised how _useless_ they were. She wanted her little brother to fight somebody strong so that he could go all out and show her something special. She wanted to see that light in his eyes whenever he got _truly_ fired up.

Her worries were proven true when Killua easily disappeared from his position and reappeared behind the smallest of the trio, kicking him on the back of his knee and causing him to drop to the floor.

"Don't move," Killua warned as he made his threat clear. "My nails are sharper than knives."

"Oh… _Killu_ ~" Nallui felt a blush coming to her cheeks at the way her little brother was holding the man hostage so casually, threatening to cut through his skin like butter with those razor-sharp claws. He even pushed further, causing a droplet of blood to seep from the man's delicate skin and Nallui bit her lip to stifle what would have been a rather _audible_ reaction.

 _You never disappoint me, Killu._ While she would have preferred some real bloodshed, Nallui felt like her Killua-withdrawal had been satiated with this little show alone. Seeing her brother take control of the situation so easily and dominate anybody that got in his way reminded her so much of her twin that she couldn't help her reaction.

_Illu-ni, look at our little boy~ He's taking after us without even realising it~_

The men were shaken at how brazenly the child in front of them threatened death and so the largest man soon relinquished his badge, tossing it Killua's way. The boy hummed as he looked at them and pocketed the one he needed. With a devilish smile and a brief glance toward the bushes where the ninja was hiding, he threw both of the tags in separate directions with enough force that it would take any normal person days to locate them.

"There's still three days left, good luck finding them!" Killua said with a childish grin before disappearing from sight.

The three men stood frozen, mouths agape at the situation being so thoroughly flipped on them but Nallui didn't waste any time staying behind and sped in the direction of the other tag Killua had thrown. She easily located it within the air and leapt above the trees to grab it, landing back onto the branch with ease. She looked down at the tag and finally allowed the wide, maniacal grin to spread across her face.

 _Killu, you make it hard for me to keep myself in control…_ she thought as she stared at what she knew was the tag the ninja had been waiting for. Nallui's keen eyes had seen her brother's nimble fingers switching the tags at the last second and so had fled in the opposite direction of Hanzo.

"Ninja-san will be so disappointed to realise he's been tricked~" she giggled. "I better pay him a visit to cheer him up."

Quickly searching through the pockets of her hakama and pulling out two of her brother's needles, she swiftly pierced the back of her neck and lower back to alter her hair colour and height once again before pulling the kitsune mask back onto her face. "I can't wait until this is over," she sighed to herself as she cracked her neck from the sudden muscle ache and began running in the direction Hanzo had fled.

Running silently until she reached an opening in the forest, Nallui came out into a grassy clearing. The density of the forest had created an eerie darkness that had blanketed everything in sight, but with the sun shining down in the open field, Nallui sighed in content at the warmth of the light on her exposed torso. She had decided to keep the kimono unwrapped and tied around her waist. It was now only her bound chest and arms that were covered in bandages, leaving her neck and stomach exposed to the sun.

She spotted the ninja who was on his knees in despair as he stared at the tag in his hands. He was muttering his shock and betrayal to the sky in a particularly dramatic manner. Nallui stifled her laughter and allowed her aura to become noticeable once again, enough for Hanzo to sense somebody else was close.

"Looking for this, ninja-san?" she asked with a childlike tone. In her hand was the badge displaying the number #197.

Hanzo spun around and gaped in shock at the sight of the tag he needed. He took in Nallui's appearance with a shrewd gaze, likely gaging just how he would fare in a fight to reclaim his prize.

"I am," Hanzo spoke calmly, his usual goofy expression had transformed, becoming stern.

_That's right, get serious so we can fight for real._

"Hmm, then it seems we'll have to come to a deal then."

"Deal?" he repeated in confusion. He had been eyeing her wearily ever since she entered the clearing like she was a viper waiting to strike.

Her head tilted to the side at an almost unnatural angle while her plaits swayed in the air, carried within the light breeze. She even left her posture purposefully lax and vulnerable, which only furthered the other's defensive stance.

For somebody to act so carefree in a dangerous situation like this meant they were either confident or plain stupid. While Hanzo liked to put on a goofy front, he wasn't gullible enough to bet on the latter. His eyes narrowed at the petite girl in front of him while his senses screamed one word loud and clear. _Lethal!_

"I'll happily hand this over to you, in exchange for your own."

Hanzo blinked dumbly for a moment at her words before letting out a disbelieving laugh. " _Hah_? Do you seriously think I'd just agree to that? Giving up my own badge? _Why_ would I do that?"

"Well, you see, _your_ badge is worth three points to me, while _this_ ," she raised the spare tag in her hands. "Is worth three points to _you_. Sounds like a fair deal to me~"

"The only person losing anything from a deal like that is _me_ ," Hanzo pointed out dryly. "While the only one benefitting is _you_." His only reply was a giggle from Nallui who nodded her head in agreement.

While Hanzo currently had in his possession his own tag worth three points and a random tag worth one, Nallui had the exact same. However, if they were to swap, Nallui would be in possession of her target badge and her own, equalling the necessary six points. Hanzo however…

"I'd be left with the same as I started!" he shouted in exasperation.

Nallui chuckled but didn't deny his frustrated exclamation. After all, it was true and while her offer was ridiculous, she was curious if the ninja would accept regardless in the effort to avoid a fight.

" _Sooo_?" she sang. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"Hell no!" Hanzo shouted, his brows furrowed in annoyance.

Nallui clapped her hands in joy. "I'd hoped you'd say that! _Now you can entertain me a little_ ~"

Hanzo instantly drew up his guard at her threatening tone and could only blink before the girl disappeared from her spot before reappearing in front of him in a blur of wind, sending a strike straight towards his face. Hanzo leant back to dodge the attack and lowered his centre of gravity to avoid the consequential flurry of hits.

When Nallui's arm was reared back from her attack, Hanzo took the brief window of opportunity to whip his arm out and clip the girl's neck, aiming right for the pressure point that would cause immobility.

He let out a surprised gasp when his hand was _caught_ inches away from its target. Her hand was laughably tiny compared to his and yet it held on with equal strength, even daring to squeeze a little in warning.

The girl's expression was unreadable, hidden underneath the mask, but Hanzo could tell enough from her mocking tone. "You'll have to try harder than that, ninja-san~"

Hanzo grit his teeth and was about to pull his arm back when he yelped as he was flipped forwards and over the girl's shoulder, her petite height making it an easy task as he flew straight over her and landed on his back with a groan.

Nallui moved back to watch her opponent quickly rise to his feet again, the brief takedown not enough to knock him out. _Good. Come and get me~_

Hanzo took a moment to get his bearings, his breathing a little winded from the abrupt impact to the ground before he darted forward with impressive speed. Nallui dodged all of his attacks and watched his movements with a keen eye, recognising his style of fighting and categorising it within her head in order to effectively use it herself in combat.

This was a fundamental basis taught by her father and grandfather when training. _Learn the flow of your opponent and use it against them_. Nallui knew that being talented in only one or two areas of fight styles was asking for death in their line of work.

 _Recognise the style and utilise it against your opponent._ It was no good to attempt fighting somebody who used fluid and graceful movements with a wild and feral style. The styles were too different and allowed for too many openings that could be exploited, no matter how talented you were. _Adapt to their speed, their flow. Mirror them before striking true._

The best way to fight somebody was to use their own skills against them and simply be _better_.

 _Be stronger_. _Faster_.

Hanzo threw a roundhouse kick directed toward her head but Nallui lowered her stance and dodged it easily, grabbing a hold of his ankle as it swung and twisting to flip him away. The man twirled within the air from the power of her throw but gracefully landed on his feet. He wasted no time returning with even greater speed, his arms blurring from the speed of his attacks.

Nallui used her forearms and elbows to evade and push away the flurry of jabs aimed at her upper body while her gaze was focused solely on the ninja's face, watching in interest as his brows pinched and his eyes crinkled in concentration. She watched as his lids closed for the barest millisecond as he blinked. She counted the seconds between each blink, watching it happen once, twice, three times…

And on the fourth blink, Nallui struck.

With a movement too quick to be seen her hand blurred as it jabbed into the man's defenceless neck. Her action startled him as he choked at the sudden jab and Nallui followed through as she spun around his body and sent a fast kick to the back of his knee, causing him to collapse to the floor.

The girl used his momentum to wrap her arms around his neck and flip him over herself as she had done before, only this time he landed on his front and groaned as his face met the dirt and his body was covered by another.

With her arms around his neck and her mask pressed closely against his face, Hanzo could easily hear the whispered words. "I win~"

The ninja grunted as he attempted to shift her weight but was surprised at just how heavy she was on top of him. It clearly wasn't all of her own weight as the girl was tiny but the sheer _oppressive_ aura that was barrelling down made sweat bead at his temple. It was crushing and he felt like his chest might cave in at any moment.

After a few more minutes of struggling, Hanzo let out a disgruntled sigh as he realised he couldn't escape her iron-hold. "Fine, fine. You win," he grumbled. "Now can you let me go?"

"Hmm~" she let out an airy tune that while sung in her childish lilt, coupled with the menacing aura currently crushing his body to the ground, sent a chill throughout his body. Hanzo tensed further at her next words.

" _Who said anything about letting you go?_ "

Moving closer and pushing the mask she wore uncomfortably against his face, the chill of the porcelain was a stark contrast to his flushed skin and Hanzo's body was soon covered in goosebumps.

"I remember Lippo-san say that _anything_ was permissible in the pursuit of our targets, no?" the child-like tone of her voice had disappeared and in its place was a dark, almost seductive drawl that held a venomous promise.

"C-come on, I yielded already," Hanzo said with a nervous chuckle, trying to reason with the clearly psychopathic enemy he'd stupidly gotten himself tangled up with.

Nallui hummed lowly, allowing it to drag longer than necessary as she tightened her hold on his neck, eyes alight as he choked for breath.

"All I'd need to do is twitch a centimetre to the left and your neck will snap like a twig," she whispered huskily, becoming a little high from the fear her opponent was displaying. She didn't even want to think about the expression she was making underneath her mask, realising with a troubling clarity that Hisoka and herself had too much in common for her own sanity.

As her mind flashed the memory of Hisoka's creepy leer whenever his arousal became too much to control, Nallui snapped out of her lust-filled haze and relaxed her arms. Hanzo spluttered for breath, clutching his sore neck and wincing at the forming of bruises that were sure to come.

Without any sense of shame, Nallui pulled the red scarf that was around Hanzo's neck down to expose the folds beneath and plucked the tag reading #294 for herself. She rose to her feet with a giggle and stared down at the fallen man who was glancing in her direction in wariness, as though expecting her to attack again.

Instead, he was sent a childish wave.

"Thank you for the entertainment, Hanzo-san! I hope to see you in the final phase~"

Hanzo chuckled bitterly at her words. Her dark and threatening aura had disappeared as though it had never been there to begin with. Hanzo was left feeling embarrassed at being defeated by someone so much smaller than him. And a tiny kid at that!

"Next time I'll beat you," he resolved.

" _Oya_?" Nallui tilted her head in surprise at such a bold claim.

Hanzo nodded as he got to his feet, eyes shining in determination and his posture backed with confidence despite his earlier loss. "It is my goal to become skilled enough to face any opponent on my journey! This loss has only taught me that I need to be stronger!"

The girl hummed in intrigue at his impassioned words. She couldn't truly understand the resolve behind his goals or dreams but she found his perseverance interesting, nonetheless. "Well I wish you luck then, ninja-san~ Maybe we can fight again when you become stronger~" she said teasingly.

Hanzo didn't rise to the bait and only nodded in agreement. Nallui chuckled and threw the tag she'd caught from earlier toward the man. "Here, as thanks for entertaining me," she said and watched the man blink in surprise before looking down to see if the tag was real.

When he looked up again, a thanks on the edge of his lips, she was gone.

Hanzo blinked at the empty spot in front of him where only seconds ago stood a little girl. _A ruthless little girl_.

She had disappeared so swiftly that he wasn't sure he'd pick it up even while staring right at her. The man gave a bittersweet laugh as he threw his new tag into the air and caught it again, his gaze set upon the rest of the forest surrounding him, knowing he had three more people to take out on his path to success.

" _Fight again when I get stronger_ , huh?" he whispered with a sardonic smile. "Yeah, just you wait."

* * *

Illumi Zoldyck was a simple man. While he could be ruthless at the best of times and could manipulate seemingly any situation to his advantage, he did not truly want for much. That had been a lesson taught early on in his life.

_Zoldycks are not given things. They take them._

_A Zoldyck does not settle for any less than the best._

As his body balanced so effortlessly upon the thick branch of a tree, his hands carded through the undisguised white locks he loved so much. The skin of his fingertips was blessed by the soft kiss of the silky strands and he watched with large, unblinking eyes as the hair fell from between his fingers like satin. He repeated the motion and stared as the action repeated itself. The sight of white entwined between his fingers mesmerising him as always.

The thought that something so pure, so bright and rich could coexist seamlessly within the grip of hands seeped in red.

His hands were drenched – _soaked, bathed_ – in blood so deeply they would never become clean again. Yet, he was able to use those same stained, dirtied hands to stroke through his sister's pure-white hair.

His eyes remained fixated on the sight of that purity being guided by his fingers before succumbing to gravity and falling flat. Only for him to repeat it once again. The trance-like state he felt himself in wasn't a foreign sensation to Illumi. He'd become accustomed to such a thing since they were children.

**. . .**

_From the moment the young boy had grown to become aware enough of the world around him, to truly look around and understand what he saw,_ _he had been granted the beauty that was the sight of striking white._

_The child had only blinked at such a pretty vision, reaching out small, chubby hands to grasp onto the choppy locks, pausing when the sensation of silky smoothness registered in his young mind. It was soft against his sensitive skin, a cherished discovery._

_The child hadn't been old enough to understand what the strangers around him had been saying nor mature enough to care, instead, he'd fixated those wide black eyes onto the tiny being that lay beside him. They were so **bright** that he had been instantly captivated._

_Unable to ever look away since._

_The young Illumi soon came to realise that unlike the lightness that haloed his younger sister – his_ _**twin** _ _, a concept their mother had soon explained to both children – not everything in the world was so pure._

_It was when both children were barely able to stand on their own two feet that their training began._ _Illumi could not even read or write the word 'training' but soon became more accustomed to the word than he would have ever wished._

_The young boy had been deemed precocious for his age, but while he often stared out into the world with a blank, empty gaze, it was only too soon that his apathy was ripped to shreds upon one familiar cry._

" _Oni-chan!" a young girl cried as she was strapped down onto the metal table inside the barren room._

_Illumi turned wide eyes toward his little sister, watching with muted horror as her delicate and doll-like face was pinched in fear, her identical eyes looking back at him with desperation and panic._

" _No! Papa, please- Oni-chan!"_

_The striking white hair that usually fell to her shoulders in a neat glossy sheen had become messy and was in disarray as the girl thrashed and cried for their father to stop his forceful actions. Her tiny arm reached futilely for her twin to save her._

_Illumi had frozen in place and unwittingly allowed their grandfather to strap him down to a table that lay only inches from the other. A cruel irony all too clear when Illumi stretched his own tiny arm out to meet his sister's only to feel his fingertips barely brush her own, the mere centimetre of a gap between them a mocking cruelty that would become only too prevalent within their lives going forward._

" _Nallu," the young boy whispered, his voice pitched high from a mixture of their sheer youth and his mounting anxiety. "Nallu!"_

" _Children, please behave yourselves. While I understand you are both young, I believe this will only retain positive results in your development," their father's stern voice was heard clearly within the empty, steel room but neither children had the mental coherency to truly take heed of his words. "I have been blessed with twins and as such, I will take responsibility in training you to the utmost of my abilities."_

_Rather than listen to his insanity, the twins continued to struggle toward each other and the adults within the room moved toward the door, the heavy bang signalling their departure._

_Soon enough a static voice was heard within the room and while it was distinctly their father's voice, to the two terrified and confused children, the synthetic voice only furthered their terror. Their father's words couldn't be heard over the ringing of his ears, the fear steadily reaching its peak._

_The young Nallui had fat tears running down her flushed cheeks and her back was arched from the uncomfortable and cold steel of the metal table that they lay upon. Illumi watched his sister squirm and his mind compared her wriggles to the pitiful struggle of a pinned butterfly, its wings immobile to preserve its beauty for all to see._

_Illumi felt sick._

_When the first shock of pain ran through his entire body like a jolt of pure lightning he felt like he would throw up the sweets the two of them had indulged in only hours before._

_His sister's scream was only a little louder than his own cry of pain and Illumi felt more than saw as the restraints cut into his sister's pale flesh, leaving raw, red marks behind. He felt the ache like it was his own and knew as he spasmed with another shock that his body would soon mirror hers with the crisscrossed marks of red._

_If Illumi found any solace within that morbid thought, then it was the idea that even in this torture, they would remain mirror images. While their bodies were duplicates of the other, so would their scars match, too._

_This allowed for the smallest of smiles to curl his lips before his body jolted once again, the fire burning his body from the inside._

_His last conscious thought was how even their screams were identical._

**. . .**

" _Oni-chan, it hurts," a soft voice cried from below and Illumi blinked lazily down at his little sister._

_The girl was curled up on his lap, her head cushioned against his chest while her tiny hands clutched the material of his shirt tightly as though afraid to let go. Her entire weight was fallen against him and her limbs continued to twitch and spasm intermittently._

" _I know," he simply answered back, at a loss of what else to say._

_Nallui sniffled and turned those big, dark eyes up at him, brimming with more tears. "Why Papa hurt me? Was Nallu bad?" she asked sadly, distraught at the thought._

_The younger twin hadn't taken the impromptu beginning of their training all too well, which to be considered, was a normal thing. Though, while Illumi was young and didn't really understand it himself, he felt much calmer than his sister._ _At his young age, he could not yet identify the boiling fury that dwelled deep within him at the reminder of his precious sister's face as she'd screamed in pain._

_He only felt cold. Lost._

" _I don't know."_

_His answers were short and unhelpful, but Nallui didn't complain. She only sniffled sadly and pushed her face further into her brother's neck, taking comfort from the familiar smell._

" _Nallu doesn't want oni-chan to hurt anymore."_

_Illumi blinked slowly, his eyes feeling so heavy. He struggled to muster the strength to lift his arm to lay it upon his sister's soft, soft hair. He allowed his entire being to focus entirely on his fingers as they sank within the fluffy white locks, the pure whiteness causing his sore eyes to strain. But he didn't turn away. He barely dared to blink._

_Illumi didn't want to risk the chance of his sister being taken away from him again. He didn't want this brightness, his light, to be taken away._ _**He couldn't let anything take her away from him.** _

" _Oni-chan will protect you," he said in barely a whisper, his throat sore from overuse._

_He swallowed around the dry lump in his throat and turned dark eyes – already so mature for their age, now exhibiting a scary amount of blankness, void of light – out toward the window in their room. He watched as the sky bled red as dusk approached and thought about their coming days, of how the red predicted the inevitable._

" _We'll stay together forever, Nallu. If we die, we die together."_

_While those words would only further scare a child, especially one so recently traumatised, the young Nallui peeked up at her big brother with shining eyes and nodded her head, a small smile curling those innocent lips._

" _Promise, nii-chan?"_

_"I promise."_

**. . .**

"You're thinking dark thoughts, nii-chan."

The soft lull of Nallui's voice brought the elder twin from his thoughts and he met her gaze with equal amounts of intensity.

"Would you like to share?" she asked lightly, though the way her hands crept around his neck to embrace him spoke of her earnestness.

Illumi blinked once. Twice. He let his eyes wander across the girl's soft, rosy cheeks and white lashes that brushed against them every time she closed her eyes. Her lips parted ever so slightly as she took small, even breathes that Illumi could feel against his body, the steady rise and fall of her chest a comforting rhythm.

One of his hands came to cup her cheek and he let the sensation of such soft and delicate skin seep into his fingertips.

Nallui allowed herself to fall lax in his capable hands, submitting herself completely and displaying the slightest sliver of her graceful neck. Without any spoken word necessary, she offered herself wholly in response. Only to him, and nobody else. She was bare and malleable within his hands, his to make whatever he wished.

Illumi took in the sight that his sister portrayed, a truly sinful beauty that could capture even the most obstinate of men. No, Illumi would say without a doubt that his dear sister could put even the gods to shame and as he watched the way her slender neck moved as she swallowed, the subtle flush of pink and the soft curves of her cheeks.

Illumi Zoldyck was a simple man. He did not wish for much in his life and carried out even the most horrific or depraved acts with a general air of apathy.

However, as he let his thumb stroke across his sister's jaw and down to those plush lips, watching as it disappeared, greeted with the heat of her tongue and the soft pinch of her teeth, Illumi reminded himself that he may be the greediest of them all.

 _No man, no woman, no human could deny you anything._ He thought with that same overwhelming sense of obsession he'd felt as a child, from the moment he'd laid eyes on the tiny child with the shocking head of white hair. His own personal light even in their darkest years.

_Myself most of all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put off writing this chapter forever because I was too busy playing Collar x Malice, oops.
> 
> Also for the person who asked for some Illumi pov, hope this delivers! I plan on including more flashbacks to their childhood to empathise and understand their current mindsets. Something I feel Illumi doesn't get in canon (or any of the siblings, really) what happened to them is truly messed up.
> 
> I uploaded a post to tumblr of some edits done on picrew of the general idea of Nallui (they're not perfect but maybe I'll draw her myself soon.) My account is 'mochiwwx' and it's the latest post!


	10. hidden talent

"Did you have fun, Koneko-chan?"

That was the first greeting Nallui heard after the announcement for the ending of phase four. The twins had been wasting away the remaining time by sitting in the open field and looking out at the sea. They weren't concerned about potential attacks, knowing they could be easily subdued. Nallui had been in the middle of trying to persuade her brother to join her in jumping into the water – ignoring his bland warning of how that would get them _both disqualified_ – when the sight of a boat caught their attention. It was the same vessel that had brought them all here and came with the news that their week had finally ended.

Nallui would later deny her childish whoop of joy. Illumi begged to differ, that sardonic smirk plastered on his face.

Soon enough, those skilled enough to have survived the competition and collected their necessary points came stalking out from the forest to congregate around the female instructor.

"Hmm, a little," she answered, remembering the brief fight with the ninja and the little show her brother had put on…but other than that, it had been mostly aimless waiting around.

Hisoka hummed and those slitted eyes glanced behind her to Illumi, a truly lecherous leer on his lips. "I'm sure you had plenty of fun, Koneko-chan. I feel left out~"

The implications of his words didn't go amiss and Nallui blinked, wondering when the magician had clearly spied on their intimate moments. _I suppose we did it so much that I can't remember…it's not like Illu-ni allows me to keep any coherency during those times, either…_

As Hisoka had already bent down to look directly into her masked face, Nallui took advantage of his position and patted him on the head like he was a child or a well-behaved pet. "Maybe if you're good, Hiso-chan."

Rather than feeling demeaned or belittled, it was more apparent that the magician had taken her actions in an entirely different manner if the sudden thickening of arousal in the air was any indication. He purred like a cat and nuzzled further into her hand; golden eyes narrowed into thin slits.

" _And if I'm bad?_ " he whispered.

Suddenly a large hand smacked the back of Hisoka's head and the man let out a yelp, looking up with a childish pout at Illumi. Nallui snickered at their usual bickering and decided to interrupt before they became too intense. She wrapped her arms around her brother's waist and snuggled into his firm chest, turning to look at Hisoka.

"If you're good, then maybe I can convince oni-chan to let us reward you. Ne, Hiso-chan, how does that sound?" Her voice was light and inviting and Hisoka grinned ferally at her offer.

"Deal!~"

"I did not agree to this," Illumi deadpanned, staring down at her with a blank look that even in his Gittarackur disguise, was scarily similar to his usual expression.

"No worries, nii-chan! I have the utmost confidence that you and Hiso-chan will take care of me!" she said cheerfully.

"That was not my concern."

"That's right, _oni-chan~_ ," Hisoka said with a deliberate teasing tone, his face curled into a smug grin. "I'll take good care of Koneko-chan."

Before her brother could voice a retort, Nallui pressed a hand on his chest as she stared at the familiar head of white that entered her line of vision. The other two remained quiet as she looked on at her little brother who was standing, hands in his pockets and a bored expression on his face.

"You're so easy to switch your attention whenever he comes along," Hisoka whispered, golden eyes staring discreetly at the youngest Zoldyck.

Nallui didn't move her attention away from her little brother, who despite having three sets of eyes on him, had not looked over their way. It couldn't be helped, despite his talents in assassination he wasn't up to par with the adult trio's ability at staying discreet.

"Of course. Nobody is more important."

"You're making me jealous, Koneko-chan. I can't imagine what _oni-chan_ is feeling," Hisoka purred, purposely stirring the pot with a dark smile. Illumi seemingly ignored his words, resolutely looking away from Killua.

"I love all my siblings," Nallui insisted, finally tearing her eyes away to face the magician.

"With a _clear favourite_ ," he pointed out with a chuckle.

"…That may be so," Nallui said after a moment of silence. "However, I put them all above every other human on this earth, so they need not worry."

Hisoka laughed like he found her answer infinitely amusing. "How lucky~ I bet they feel blessed."

Unsure if it was meant to be taken as a compliment or insult, Nallui shrugged away his comment, unbothered either way. She knew what others thought of their family – those who knew of them, at least – and didn't have enough care in her to be bothered by their opinions.

Nallui Zoldyck had pushed away everything within her mind and heart other than her family. She could care less what happened to the rest of the world, who ruled or who won, who fought or who loved, if it did not directly involve her siblings then she simply did not care. Since her mother had birthed their brother Milluki all the way to the point that small Kalluto had joined their world, Nallui had progressively become less and less attached to the rest of the world and more with _them_.

"So, only seven applicants have passed…" the female instructors comment caught her attention and Nallui realised with a blink of surprise that she had yet to see her brother's little group of friends.

However, that surprise was soon turned to intrigue as the female instructor's lips parted in shock and they all turned their attention to the trio walking out of the forest.

" _Oya?_ " Nallui murmured in interest, eyeing the dark bruise on Gon's face just below his eye.

" _Oya Oya?_ " Hisoka purred beside her, also showing great interest in the newcomers. He was leant against Nallui's shoulder, head tilted in much the same way as her own as they watched Gon, Kurapika and Leorio make their way toward the boat and show their collected tags as proof.

"Gon!" Killua's sweet voice rang out in evident joy at the sight of his friend and the twins watched in muted interest as their brother ran toward them, uncaring for his childish display. Gon greeted the boy back and the two shared a sweet smile, shining eyes reflecting their shared happiness at being back together again.

Nallui's breath stopped momentarily as she watched the clear… _adoration_ in her little brother's eyes and she only began breathing again once the woman instructed them all to board the aircraft that was hovering above. Despite her body moving on autopilot, her mind was working fast.

_Those eyes…the devotion so obviously shining through…_

Nallui was a firm believer in destiny. Not the wishy-washy kind of destiny that ruled one's fate and bound them to a course laid out before them. No, what she believed in was her own kind of destiny, the kind that allowed those determined and mentally strong enough to grasp whatever life handed them and force it to weave into the future they wanted. The only kind of destiny worth pursuing was one that you had handcrafted for yourself and that was the result of a life's worth of blood, sweat and tears.

A destiny that was both in favour of your dreams and inescapable enough to be mistaken as fate.

Once upon a time, Nallui had thought that it was only Illumi that represented her destiny. After all, what could be more perfect than a twin that embodied everything you loved in the world, who was right beside her through even their darkest times and who promised to love her more than anything else? Who promised that they would remain together no matter what, even in death.

She had followed this sense of destiny until her tenth year of life when the screams that had filled up their home for the last few days had finally died down and their mother's jubilant voice had wept in joy for the newly born Zoldyck.

_When the three Zoldyck children had finally been invited in to lay eyes on their newest sibling, Nallui had been spellbound by the tiny little bundle of pink that squirmed within her mother's arms, tussling the surprisingly thick tuff of silver-white hair upon its head._

" _My wonderful children! Let me introduce you to the newest member of our family, Killua." Their mother's voice was strong and proud, not an inkling of her previous days of labour could be heard. Her tone was sharp, commanding them to listen to her words._

" _Killua Zoldyck. The Heir to the Zoldyck family."_

_Nallui, still young at the time though not nearly naïve enough to completely ignore her mother's words, had mostly zoned out as the woman continued to ramble on afterwards about how proud she was and how much prestige and honour she had brought their family. Instead, Nallui had stepped closer to them both, wide eyes staring down at the tiny bundle within her mother's arms._

_It was only the last few years of her training that stopped her from gasping in awe at the sight of her little brother; his tiny face pinched like he was holding back his cries while his delicate fists and toes were scrunched together into little balls. The young girl wanted to giggle at how silly her brother looked._

' _He looks like he's ready to fight already' she wanted to say out loud. 'A true Zoldyck' her mind supplied her. 'My little brother…' her heart yearned deeply._

_She wanted to reach out and touch him, to stroke her own small hand across his forehead and push back the damp tuft of white that stubbornly clung to his skin. She felt like her body was shaking, her limbs trembling from holding herself back._

' _I want to hold him. I want to. I want it. I want it **now**.'_

_Before she could get any more worked up, her mother's jubilance turned from her silent husband and onto her other children instead. "My dears, would one of you like to hold him?" she asked, blindingly ignoring how Milluki was in no state to hold onto something so fragile and how Illumi's blank gaze screamed out his indifference and disinterest. Nallui, however, grabbed a hold of the sudden offering like it was her lifeline, as though it was the buoy thrown out to her while drowning at sea._

" _I will, Mother," she somehow said calmly, her desperate instinctual need to snatch the child from her mother's hands hidden beneath the calm and sweet exterior of her smile._

_Kikyo laughed. "Oh, Nallui my sweet daughter, I should have known you'd be the first!" she easily passed the baby along, barely checking to ensure Nallui was holding her brother correctly. "How you'll grow up to be just like your mother, dear. You'll make me a fine grandmother of many wonderful, talented children, I can just see it!" The woman continued to ramble on with her fantasies and plans for the future while the rest of the family ignored her, as usual._

_The young girl briefly noticed her father disappearing from the room and Milluki whining about wanting to continue playing his games in his room, nagging their mother from bedside. She didn't pay them too much attention, her eyes riveted onto the baby within her arms._

' _He looks like me…'_

_That was the only thing she could think as she gazed down at the child of light, for that was exactly what he was. Light. Pure, unadulterated brightness._

" _He's…" she whispered softly, unsure how to finish her sentence, "…perfect."_

_Her mind screamed the word she had wanted to say but stopped from slipping past her lips at the last moment._

' _Mine.'_

It was on that day that Nallui decided that if destiny had denied her the future she wanted, that she would wrangle and wrestle it for herself with her bare hands. She believed in her dream, after all, what she sought was neither consequentially dangerous nor morally wrong. _To be together with my family, where we can all live happily. In peace._

What kind of gods, destiny or fate could deny her something so simple?

It was in the pursuit of this dream that Nallui had taken a solemn vow to herself that she would do whatever it was within her capability to achieve her sibling's happiness. Especially Killua, that pure brightness she had held within her own arms so many years ago.

Now, as she ruminated over the scene she had witnessed between her brother and Gon, she came to a revelation. _Whether he knows it yet or not, whether it has truly begun to grow or is only still a seedling within him…it's obvious that Killu has found his own source of light._ If her gut instinct was true, and when it came to her little brother, such a thing was never wrong, then the dark-haired boy that Killua had made friends with was going to become an important factor within his life. Which meant that it was now Nallui's responsibility to keep the boy safe, no matter what.

If not for her brother's happiness, then for his sanity. _Us Zoldyck's are attracted to such pure light, as though the brightness can soothe the ache within us._

_Perhaps along the way, this light can somehow fix the damage done to our own souls…_

* * *

" **An announcement for all applicants."** An electronic voice echoed throughout the aircraft and Nallui blinked from her thoughts to listen closely.

" **The Chairman wishes to interview all of the remaining candidates, so when your number is called, please make your way to the reception room on the second floor. We shall start with #44, Hisoka-sama."**

Once the announcement was over, Nallui continued to gaze out of the window down to the scenery below. They were still travelling across the ocean towards where she guessed they would be holding the final phase of the examination. She pondered over the pros and cons of hunting down her little brother and his friends but was stopped by the sound of her name.

" **Can #88, Zurui-sama please make their way to the room. Thank you."**

With her choice already made for her, Nallui rose to her feet and made her way towards the second-floor reception, finding the correct door and knocking.

"Come in!" she heard and so Nallui opened the door with a polite 'excuse me'.

Netero was seated upon a plush pillow behind a low table, a genial smile on his face as he welcomed her inside, indicating the opposite seat for her to take. She did so with a soft 'thank you' and looked straight at the old man from behind her mask.

"How may I help you?" she asked softly, willing to be polite and patient to whatever it was the man had in store for her.

He chuckled and picked up a spare roll of paper and an ink brush. "I only wish to ask you a few questions to sate my curiosity."

She nodded in understanding.

"Now, firstly, why is it that you want to become a Hunter?"

Nallui cocked her head to the side at the seemingly simple question, understanding just how packed with repercussions it actually was. _Why do I want to become a Hunter? The simple answer is, I don't. I only joined this exam because Illu-ni did and to look out for Killu._

"I wish to protect those I care about and becoming a Hunter allows me to do that to my utmost abilities," she settled on, figuring it was close enough to the truth. It wasn't like the old man didn't already know who she was but Nallui wasn't going to give some half-assed answer, either. Netero hummed and nodded along to himself as the ink brush moved across the paper.

"I see, I see," he mumbled before smiling toward her. "Then, for my next question. Out of the other nine applicants who are you keeping your eye on?"

"In the positive or negative sense?" she asked immediately, getting a bigger smile from Netero at her insight.

"Let us say in the latter," he acquiesced.

_So basically who I would like to fight? Is that what the final phase will be? A versus match? Then I suppose my answer is easy…_

"#44 or #301."

_I want to fight either Illu-ni or Hiso-chan~ Then I can really go all out, how wonderful~_

"Interesting…" Netero said as his brush continued upon the paper even as he looked at her, his eyes sparkling with a particular light. "For my final question…which of the applicants would you _least_ like to fight?"

"#99," Nallui answered immediately, sparing not a second thought for her answer. She paused for a moment when her brother's smile flashed through her mind and opened her mouth again. "And I suppose #405, too."

"Very good, well, you're excused," Netero said with an easy-going grin, waving her away toward the door.

Nallui did so with a polite nod of her head, closing the door softly behind her and working her way down the corridor while in her thoughts. She certainly had a lot to consider.

* * *

Ten Applicants: Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio, Pokkle, Bodoro, Gittarackur, Zurui, Hisoka and Hanzo stood within the ornate room awaiting their next directive. Nallui was stood between her two brothers, the rest of her fellow applicants forming a line as they faced Netero.

"I hope you all had plenty of rest, for the final phase of the Hunter Exam will shortly commence." A large board covered with a white sheet was wheeled into the room which caught all of their attention. "The final phase will be a one-on-one tournament."

A select few of the applicants were thrilled by the news, Nallui sporting a feral grin from beneath her mask and Hisoka's smile turning positively menacing. Once Netero pulled the sheet free, the true fun began.

"So…only the final standing will pass?" Leorio guessed.

"Wrong," Netero replied. "You simply need _one_ win to pass." His words shocked some and at their confusion, he explained further. "The winners of each round will be removed from the competition, leaving only those who lose. It will be the _final person_ standing that ultimately fails to pass the Hunter Exam."

They all looked at the board that had revealed the brackets. The disproportionate advantages of certain contestants over others were obvious immediately and Nallui felt her lips twitch as she saw her minimal chances. She had been given only _two_ chances to win, comparative to Gon or even Hanzo, who were offered _five_ chances.

_If you make your favouritism any clearer I'll start to think you don't want me to pass, old man._

Nallui glanced at Netero who was nonplussed at the disproportionate brackets being pointed out. As he explained just _why_ they were so lopsided she couldn't help but question his true motives for allowing such a thing. Surely, the man knew that it was practically impossible that herself, Illumi and Hisoka would fail this test, especially considering who they were up against. Even if they _were_ pitted against one another, they had at least two chances to pass, meaning that they could even let the other win and simply take the next match for themselves.

Perhaps, rather than intending for them to lose, he instead wanted _certain people_ to win and was willing to rig the matches to ensure such a thing came about...

With a mental shrug, she let it rest. Nallui didn't particularly care for the reasoning behind his schemes, it wasn't like she'd taken this exam for a special reason other than to keep an eye on her little brother. She rose a brow when said brother asked for the true reasoning behind their rankings. She could detect the annoyance and envy within his voice, even if nobody else could. Narrowing her eyes at the sight of her precious Killu gripping his hands into fists, she placed a hand upon his soft locks, getting his attention.

"Take it as a compliment. That just means it'll be even more impressive when you pass despite the many disadvantages."

Killua stared back for a few moments, taking her words in before finally nodding stiffly. Nallui chuckled at how stubborn her boy was and pinched his cheeks hard. Killua yelped at the rough action and tried swatting away her hands as she cooed at _how_ _cute he was_ and _how she couldn't help herself_.

The rest watched on in a mixture of amusement and exasperation, especially Kurapika and Leorio. The two were just relieved that somebody was able to so easily bring Killua back from whatever had been bothering him. Gon laughed at his friend's anger before raising his hand towards Nallui, shouting _me too, Zurui! Me too!_

"Right, then," said Netero, effectively cutting into the noise caused by their antics. "Let us move onto the final phase."

Everybody straightened up, ready to begin their final fights.

* * *

...

"Well, that was certainly… _riveting_."

Nallui's comment was met with nods of agreement as the line of applicants watched an unconscious Gon be carried out of the room. His fight against Hanzo had just finished in his favour, with the ninja finally conceding in the face of the boy's sheer determination and grit. Nallui herself was a little disappointed that Gon hadn't been able to defeat the ninja, though she supposed she couldn't compare all children that age against her own brother.

Her family was vastly superior in terms of strength and she sometimes had to remind herself that not everybody was trained from a young age to perfectly subdue and defeat any opponent.

"Why did you let him win?"

Killua's question was unexpected and it caught the attention of not only Hanzo, but everybody else, too. Nallui cocked her head to the side at her little brother's intense expression, his stare was of both genuine curiosity and frustration.

"I guess you could say he won me over…" Hanzo said honestly, going on to explain how no matter his past or history in torturing somebody when facing Gon, he just couldn't go through with his initial plans. The boy's tenacity in the pursuit of his goals was too much and ultimately won him over.

Nallui didn't quite understand it, and neither did Killua, it seemed.

"How disappointing," she sang in an airy tone. Hanzo frowned at her comment, insulted but Nallui only waved his look away. "What? It is. I thought you had more determination than that. What a shame you were gifted so many chances to pass if you're going to so easily give them away."

The ninja grit his teeth at her words, looking like he wanted to refute them but unable to. Despite his reasoning behind his loss, it was still a loss, and a voluntary one, nonetheless. And unlike some of the more _questionable_ personalities within the room – namely Hisoka – he wasn't the kind of person to play with his opponent. Instead, he turned his face away and walked back in line.

Killua was glancing at her from the corner of his eye and Nallui gave his cheek a poke for good measure. _Wipe that frown off your face, Killu. I don't like seeing you distressed. You're so much cuter when you smile~_

The next match passed by far quicker than the last. Hisoka predictably toyed with Kurapika, dancing around his attacks with ease before whispering something into his ear, a cryptic smile adorning his face. He conceded, allowing the blonde to win but by his shocked expression, it was clear whatever the magician had said had affected him greatly.

Soon enough it was Nallui's own turn and she walked forward nonchalantly, eyeing her opponent in amusement. "Ahh, you really are unlucky."

Her words were said so casually that those in the room were silent as they looked her way. Her tiny body and childish voice did not lend itself to intimidation and it was all too easy to forget her previous accomplishments throughout the exam so far.

Pokkle seemed to think so, too, as he rose a brow at her flippant tone. "Why is that?"

"Well, you were lucky enough to have made it this far against all the odds. It's a shame you'll lose so soon at the final stage. I suppose there's always next year." The words, coupled with her mocking tone of voice were so brazenly confident that she did not just imply the inevitability of her win, but prophesied it.

Before he could respond, one of Nallui's hands came to rest upon the bottom half of the kitsune mask she wore, cradling it at the sides. Her fingers applied the slightest pressure and the _crack_ was audible as it broke apart seamlessly. With the mask no longer restricting the lower half of her face, pink lips were revealed to the room. They could be described as cute if not for the feral grin that stretched across her face. When she spoke, her voice was much clearer, no longer muffled behind the mask.

"Shall we have some _fun_ , Pokkle-san?" she placed a bandaged finger to her lips, smiling impishly. "How about this: If you're able to touch me a single time during this fight, I'll concede immediately."

Pokkle let out an indignant yell at her words, seeing them for the insult they were. The others watched on in interest.

"Is that a no? I was sure you'd be agreeable to this suggestion," she said in mock disappointment, tapping her chin in thought. "I suppose you feel it an impossible task…"

"I never disagreed!" Pokkle snapped. "Fine. I'll take your stupid bet. I hope you realise how cocky you sound when you lose."

"Then, let the fight between #53, Pokkle and #88, Zurui, begin," Netero said, a single hand raised before lowering it to the ground as their signal to start.

Pokkle took an offensive approach and moved forward with determination, intent on laying a single touch that would win him the round. Nallui watched him approach through the blank eyes of her mask. His movements were so slow to her eyes that it was as though it was occurring in slow motion. Pokkle raised his foot in a kick at the last minute, intending on catching her off guard.

However, he was sent flying over her body as Nallui lowered herself into a backbend, her body becoming almost parallel to the ground. She evaded his attack like it was child's play, her head tilted sideways in mockery as she watched him soar above her.

Pokkle landed on his feet a couple of metres away and turned to face her with narrowed eyes. A pink tongue darted across her lips as she smirked at his obvious irritation.

_Tastes sweet like honey. Keep coming at me. Again and again, until you work yourself into madness._

Incensed, Pokkle shot forward again and for the next couple of minutes, the same scene continued to play. Those watching on the sidelines couldn't help but think that the girl was purposefully toying with her opponent, as she would continue to barely dodge in time to his attacks. It was enough to evade his touch but _just close_ enough that it gave Pokkle the false hope that he could win.

Pokkle was becoming more and more infuriated with each swift dodge, gritting his teeth as the girl manoeuvred her body into eluding his grasp. It was like trying to grab water with his bare hands.

They once again stood opposite each other, Pokkle breathing heavily and Nallui serene. A small smile curled upon her lips.

"Do you give up yet?" she asked. Her tone was purposely light to further provoke him. The boy was no match for her and so if Nallui was denied the pleasure of a good fight, she would settle for playing with her prey, instead.

"No," Pokkle snapped.

She hadn't thought he would. Despite how badly he was losing, it was obvious that if he lost this match then his next opponent would be a matchup of either Killua, Gittarackur or Hisoka. All three put him on edge and so it was only natural he would take his chances with the _little girl_ instead.

_Excellent choice._

Splaying her arms wide at her sides, Nallui made herself seem as defenceless as possible. "Then give it your best shot, _Pokkle-san_."

The grinding of his teeth could almost be heard as Pokkle fumed over her teasing, his temper beginning to get the better of him as his patience ran low. Nallui put a finger to her lips in mock thought.

"Unless you realise its impossible? How boring…then, how about we play a _game of endurance?_ "

The words held no meaning to those in the room yet everybody could feel the weight behind them. A deeper meaning known only to her.

"Heh, endurance? Give it your best," Pokkle grinned, suddenly filled with a new sense of confidence.

_Have you never been told not to accept offers from a stranger? To think you'd take the bait so easily…_

Nallui made a 'come-hither' motion with her finger and imbued her smile with all the brattiness she could muster. She pictured her little brother's face whenever he did something mischievous and emulated it herself. _Nobody is as good at riling people up than my darling Killu~_

As Pokkle moved closer once again, Nallui did not move at all, only continuing to stare into the other's eyes. Those in the room watched with bated breath as Pokkle got closer and closer until…

…a sudden _crack_ echoed throughout the room, followed by an agonised cry.

Pokkle was clutching his hand in pain, the same hand that had only moments ago been inches from Nallui's face. It was now bent unnaturally, likely sprained, if not broken completely.

Wide eyes turned to the girl – or more accurately the girl's hand, which was twisted in the exact same position as Pokkle's and was being held between dainty fingers.

"That looks like it hurts, Pokkle-san. Can you still catch me with only one hand?"

Shaken by the pain and letting his emotions cloud his better judgement, Pokkle shouted out his frustration and reached out with his good hand towards the girl. She wouldn't be able to repeat whatever it was she'd done before so quickly and so he took his chance.

…only to gasp as the world around him suddenly shifted as the floor fell from beneath his feet. He stared down owlishly at the sight of his ankle which was twisted unnaturally, the pain only registering a couple of seconds later and he clutched at his foot tightly. It burned something fierce and he tried to muffle his cries in an attempt to salvage his pride.

All eyes shifted to Nallui who had without a seconds hesitation, twisted her own foot sideways and leant all her weight onto it, effectively dislocating the bone and causing her ankle to stick out abnormally. It was hard to see clearly behind the bandages wound so tightly around her skin but the sickening sight of her foot bent so wrong was proof enough.

"W-what?" Leorio stuttered into the silence that followed. His face was horrified.

Kurapika was in a similar state, his grey eyes open wide in shock at the girl's actions. They were both bewildered at the casual display of self-inflicted injury, taking note that she hadn't shown any sign of pain. Not even a twitch.

Neither of them had ever heard or witnessed such an ability before and judging from the reactions around them, neither had anyone else. The only people who seemed unaffected were Netero, Gittarackur and Hisoka, though, the expression on the latter could be described only as _salacious_. A creepy grin was stretched across his face and his tongue slowly licked his lips.

"Do you give up?" she asked once more, this time her voice was a tad colder.

Pokkle winced and though it looked like it pained him to admit defeat, it was clear his injury hurt more and so he nodded. "Fine. Yes, I give up." He sighed in disappointment and hobbled back towards the line-up.

Nallui grinned widely, clapping her hands together and skipping back to her place beside her brothers. Netero called out the winner before indicating for the next two applicants, Bodoro and Hisoka to enter.

Nallui paid them no mind. She showed no sign of pain at her injuries and Leorio, ever the medical student voiced his concerns.

"Shouldn't you avoid putting pressure on your wound, Zurui?"

"Hm?" she looked down at her foot and let out a soft _'ah'_. Without pause she bent her foot in the opposite direction and pushed, causing it to shift back into place with a disgusting _pop_.

Leorio almost gagged at her actions, taking a step back while holding in a physical shudder. That was against _so many_ medical regulations and codes that he didn't even want to think about it, the girl was certifiably insane. Judging by her non-plussed expression, he had a theory that he wasn't sure wanted to be confirmed.

"Zurui," he began slowly, debating whether to really ask the question. He decided to throw caution to the wind, the girl hadn't done anything against them since they'd met, in fact, she'd been pretty friendly, especially towards the two youngest of their group. "Do you perhaps have sensory neuropathy?"

She cocked her head to the side at the medical term but hummed, guessing it matched up. "I believe so. Though you shouldn't concern yourself, Leorio-san, I understand my body's limits better than anybody. I wouldn't have done such a thing if my body could not handle it."

"You shouldn't hurt yourself so casually," Kurapika chastised, peeking past Leorio's body to look her way.

Nallui giggled at their concerned looks, especially savouring the slight curve of Killua's brow that she knew was his own form of worry. He had been discreetly listening in to their conversation and his brows had furrowed ever so slightly.

_You care so much for me even without knowing who I am. You flatter me, Killu._

She turned back to face the fight currently taking place, easily evading Kurapika's question and instead focusing on how her brother continued to look her way, those blue eyes shining in concern.

_Show me all of this attention once we meet again~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, this chapter took a while to write. I think it was because it had to be cut into like three parts and I ended up doing each one over the last week or so...anyways, I'm going to be writing a sequel for my UA story this week but I'll still upload the next chapter for this soon enough - which will contain the ultimate reveal! I'm excited about this part and I have so many ~i-d-e-a-s~
> 
> The relationship between Illumi and Nallui is pretty complex, in the sense that while they may disagree and possibly 'fight', they have this basic understanding that they will never truly be apart, because if something were to happen to the other, they would just follow the same path. a.k.a, if one of them dies, the other will too. They are much too dependant on the other and cannot live if the other is not there anymore...it's very unhealthy...but hey, that's why people are reading this, right? Because it's all kinds of fucked up HA :')
> 
> [Also, I have zero knowledge of sensory neuropathy and do not claim to. It was just the closest medical term I could find on google to describe it, ok?


	11. the twin revelation

All the fights so far had gone just as Nallui had predicted. The competition was sorely lacking and Nallui was disappointed she hadn't been granted the pleasure of seeing Hisoka or Illumi fight seriously. Though she supposed anybody but herself would be an unfair match at this point in time.

Killua, however…

"Can the next two applicants step forward," Netero asked and the girl watched as her two brothers moved to face one another.

_Illu-ni won't go easy on Killu just because he's family…I should have warned him to let the boy pass…_

The atmosphere was tense, a thickness to the air as though those around them knew the secret behind such a pairing.

Nallui knew they had _no idea_ the significance that weighed down upon this moment, a reunion between family that would rise and rise in its intensity before finally reaching its crescendo – the inevitable fall-out spilling turbulence none of them could prepare for.

Nallui was clueless to her brother's whims, despite how much she'd like to think they shared one mind. Illumi was far crueller than her – even she could bear witness to that. Though, he was a man of family, if not harbouring a love for them that had been twisted into something far darker than desirable.

Nallui wouldn't want him any other way. But that did not mean she was always privy to his whims, as such a moment proved.

Killua stood with his hands in his pockets, displaying such usual insolence as he faced his opponent and yet Gittarackur's sheer size, his looming presence, adorned in pins and boring holes into the boy with such an eery blankness…

She could tell that Gittarackur's stare reminded Killua far too much of their brother but the younger had yet to connect the dots. His expression still spoke of confidence, his posture remained relaxed. He'd leant forward, ready to make the first move and end their match as quickly as he was used to but the entire world stopped when Gittarackur opened his lips to speak.

"It's been too long, Killu."

The boy paused, eyes widening at the familiarity within his call. Blue remained calm, simply confused at the words spoken, an obvious indication that his brain had yet to recognise the danger.

_Or his mind refuses to…can you not tell it's your nii-chan, Killu? Can you not feel his overwhelming presence?_

Killua's feet had frozen mid-step and he refused to come any closer to the stranger that had greeted him so familiarly. Nallui knew that his body had remembered what his mind refused to, his instincts kicking in at the sense of a more dangerous predator.

With a series of disjointed clicks, one of Illumi's hands rose to pinch the end of the pin stuck in his cheek. Slowly, almost teasingly, he pulled it from his skin, the smooth metal gliding free.

Methodically, he removed each pin that was inserted into his face and the hair atop his head, that had been a deep blue and styled up, slowly bled into inky black and grew – growing so long that it fell to his mid-back in silken waves.

His face warped unnaturally and Nallui heard Kurapika gasp from beside her. She glanced over to gauge their expressions and caught the moment they realised that Gittarackur had been disguised all along, his true identity revealing itself in front of their very eyes.

Nallui cocked her head to the side, watching from behind her mask as her brother was slowly revealed to the room, his beautiful appearance once again displayed in the open as she felt it should be.

Her twin was truly a magnificent sight and it was a sin for him to have remained hidden so long.

Her eyes took in the changes eagerly, rocking back and forth on her heels, unable to contain her mounting glee.

Seemingly all at once, the pressure within the room spiked as Killua's eyes widened even further, only this time they were creased in shock and horror.

When Illumi slowly opened his eyes, revealing those bottomless pools of black – like voids that were inescapable, trapping you in sight – the reality of the situation truly sunk in and her little brother automatically took a step back, his entire body tense.

"Aniki…?"

Killua's body was shaking, his skin perspiring at just the sight of Illumi, who stood looking down at the boy with a blank expression.

"Killua's brother?" Leorio muttered from her side and Nallui glanced his way, spying the clear shock displayed on her brother's friends faces.

Even those who weren't friends with Killua looked surprised, all eyeing Illumi with suspicion – it wasn't unheard of for people to disguise themselves to keep their identities a secret, but to reveal himself so suddenly? And to a family member, at that? Many of them were confused at the turn of events.

"Did he use those needles to change his appearance?" Kurapika asked into the silence.

"Have you never heard of special skills like this, Kurapika-kun?" Nallui asked sweetly, still facing both of her brothers as she spoke.

"N-no…" the blonde replied, eyeing her shrewdly. Compared to everybody else, Nallui was calm and collected, seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere the room was blanketed in.

"I heard that you cut up Mom and Milluki as you left," Illumi said blandly, his voice was at a high-pitch and yet remained monotone as he so casually discussed their family's attack.

"Y-yeah, I guess…" Killua stuttered nervously.

"Mother was crying," Illumi added on, as though that particular detail would inflict any guilt upon the boy.

Leorio scoffed, "Obviously. Anybody would cry if their child did that to them!"

Nallui giggled, covering her mouth behind her hand. The corners of her lips were curled up in dark amusement at his words and she ignored the frowns being sent her way.

 _As if Killu cares what that woman thinks of him…he knows we don't need her in our lives to be happy. There's no need to spare a woman like_ _**that** _ _any pity._

"She was so happy to see you'd grown up…" Illumi continued, ignoring the surprise at his flippant disregard for their mother's wellbeing.

The gathered applicants watching their conversation shifted awkwardly as the dynamics of their family slowly unravelled itself, the simple words spoken by Illumi painting an all too clear picture of the woman they called 'mother'.

"How did you-" Killua went to ask but he was cut off again by Illumi. The elder cocked his head to the side, his hair falling too and shimmering in the overhead lights.

"How did I know where you were?" he asked rhetorically, stealing the words straight from his mouth. Killua nodded slowly, still watching Illumi's every movement, his posture rigid.

"Well, when you disappeared so suddenly, someone had to take the blame for letting you leave."

The words were vague to those around them but they sank into Killua like a knife through butter. His eyes became alarmed and he subconsciously took a step forward as he parted his lips-

" _Nee-chan?"_

Illumi hummed a high tune. "Spot on. Well done, Killu," the congratulation was seeped in sarcasm, despite his voice never faltering from its robotic tone.

"Then…where is she?" Killua asked slowly, softly, as though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to his own question. The punishments she might have faced for letting him escape ran rampant through his mind and each one was worse than the other.

Illumi blinked languidly, like a predator watching its prey and knowing it cannot escape, simply biding its time.

"Nallu," he called out.

For a moment, everybody was frozen, unsure what he was referring to but their sights soon shifted when a small figure took a step forward from the assembly line of applicants.

Killua's entire focus moved her way and Nallui preened under the attention.

"Yes?" she replied to Illumi's call, her head tilted to the side.

"You can take them out now."

Killua didn't seem to want to believe the meaning behind Illumi's words, his brain refusing to connect the hints once again and so he watched, eyes wide and unblinking as Nallui reached behind her back and swiftly pulled out the pin lodged within her lower spine.

Her bones cracked awkwardly and Leorio had moved away from her, Kurapika too, the both of them watching with matching grimaces as Nallui's once petite form now grew until she stood at least two heads taller.

Not stopping there, Nallui easily pulled out the next pin that was slotted into the back of her neck and as the black locks began to bleed into white, she ran her fingers through the strands to rid herself of the double plaits.

After the transformation was done, Nallui sighed as her hair fell to her lower back, the texture soft like water and almost blinding in the room's lights. The silvery-white was a stark contrast to Illumi, yet nobody in the room could ignore the obvious – just how identical the colouring was to Killua's own.

Killua was breathing heavy, his hand twitching at his side as the pieces fell into place one by one, his mind ripping back the curtain to reveal the truth in all its glory.

Finally, small, delicate hands clutched either side of the kitsune mask that now only covered her upper-face from sight and she slowly lifted it from her skin, feeling the cool air brush against her cheeks.

Thick white lashes blinked, kissing the subtle pink of her cheeks – lids opening to show inky black eyes sat in an eerily similar face, only softer and rounder than her male counterpart.

"Nallu…" Killua whispered lowly, blue eyes bright as they stared back at her. Comprehension clear in his gaze.

Nallui's lips stretched into a wide smile, her teeth white and blinding as she stared back at her little brother.

"Killu," she cooed, the adoration – and lilt of insanity – prevalent within just the simple word.

Leorio choked in disbelief and Kurapika fared no better, both of them staring at Nallui's revealed form with a mixture of shock and betrayal.

"You're…Killua's sister!?" Kurapika managed to ask, his brows furrowed as grey eyes took in her entire appearance.

While her face didn't move from its position staring at Killua, her eyes did dart their way, taking in their wide eyes and parted lips.

"Surprised?" she asked with an amused lilt. "I'm so very grateful we get to be introduced properly. I'm Nallui, Killu's older sister and Illu-ni's twin."

Silence was her only reply but she paid it no mind, briefly meeting the golden stare of Hisoka from further down the line. The magician was leaning against the wall with a casual disregard to the dramatics around them, but his lips were curled into a leery smirk.

Her lips pursed at his lecherous staring and she pushed it to the back of her mind – a matter to discuss at a later date. At a time when something, _someone_ , far more important was standing within the same room and at a distance close enough to _touch_.

Her hands twitched at her sides, the temptation to take Killua into her arms a difficult instinct to ignore. Instead, she smiled at the boy, taking no notice of his overall unease and focusing entirely on the euphoria of being able to see him again. To have those blue eyes look back and truly see _her_.

"I've missed you, Killu," she said honestly, her melodic voice lilting a little in sadness. "Don't worry, I convinced Mother and Father that I let you escape so I was the only one punished."

She'd intended her words to soothe the boy, believing his shock and fear to stem from the anxiety he was likely feeling at the thought of being dragged home and forced to face his punishment for running away. However, the picture she'd painted had a completely different effect.

"What!" Killua said in alarm, his face pinching in fright. "Why'd you do that!?"

"Hm? _Why_?" she repeated, confused at his question. "So that you wouldn't get in trouble?" Her tone was innocent and showed she wasn't sure the reason for his negative reaction.

As he was about to open his mouth again to speak his indignation, he was cut off by Illumi, who gained their full attention at once.

"I wasn't aware you wanted to become a Hunter, Killu."

Killua, after glancing briefly her way and shuffling in place, chose to focus on the bigger issue at hand. His shock at their appearance was pushed back as the boy tried donning his calm mask once again.

"I don't…really feel like becoming a Hunter," he denied, speaking slowly as though finding the right words. "I just felt like taking the test."

"I see…" Illumi said softly, his words bleeding into something far darker, his inflexion more sinister. "That's a relief. Otherwise, I have some advice for you. You should quit while you're ahead. You're not cut out to be a Hunter."

His words sounded cruel and Killua's face showed his outward shock but Nallui was silent, letting the brothers talk. It had been ingrained within her to let family members discuss their issues without becoming involved. It was their golden rule.

_No internal conflict._

So long as she was here, then Killu was safe and that was all that mattered. For whatever reason her twin wished to reveal themselves now, and for what purpose he felt the need to warn Killu away from becoming a Hunter, was none of her concern.

_Killu is safe and that's all that matters._

"You were born to be…a killer," he spoke softly. "As a being born within the shadows, you are permitted only to feel pleasure when people die at your hands."

All of the lives she had ended single-handedly flashed behind her eyes and Nallui pursed her lips at her brother's words.

"That's how we were raised."

It was the truth. Silva and Kikyo Zoldyck had raised their children for the sole purpose of furthering the Zoldyck family name and to create the perfect tools to carry out assassinations. They were nothing but weapons, their bodies finely tuned to become instrumental in courting chaos and death.

That was all Nallui Zoldyck knew.

_A childhood filled with aching bones and seared flesh – of red marks left behind on pale flesh from the straps holding her down and the phantom twitching of limbs hours after their sessions locked within the blinding, white room._

"True…I don't want to become a Hunter, but there's something I want…even more," Killua whispered, softly, almost afraid.

"You don't," Illumi denied blandly and Killua snapped back that there _was_ something he wanted – something he _desired_ for _himself_ -

_Two children knowing no better than what their parents would tell them – how their impressionable minds warped and twisted into ideals not quite their own but adopted so deeply that they couldn't tell the difference anymore. Who were they? What were they?_

_What did they_ _**want** _ _? What did they_ _**desire** _ _?_

_Did it even matter anymore?_

"Then tell me, tell me what it is you want," his words were like poison – whispered too sweetly to be anything but a trap.

Killua's face pinched in anguish, blue eyes dark in sadness and confusion. His stare was directed to the floor; his shoulders sagged from the burden of his desire.

_A young girl, clutching her brothers hand tightly as she stared up at the imposing figure of their father with a blank face, an expression mirrored on the boy next to her. Both children silent at the seemingly simple question spoken by the looming man – 'What do you want?'_

_Twin sets of black eyes deadened and empty. Eyes that held no comprehension for the question._

_Empty with no answer._

"I…I want to be friends…with Gon."

The admission was like bearing his soul to the world and Killua – so small and innocent despite the blood soaking his hands and the blackness eating away at his soul – hunched in on himself as though hiding from the reactions to such an emotional secret laid bare.

"I'm sick of killing people…I want to be friends with Gon and live a normal life…"

_Small hands clasped together as the two bodies lay pressed close beneath the sheets, the humidity in the air depriving them of easy breath and yet they both remained entwined, refusing to let go as though afraid to lose each other in the void of night._

' _Can we really do it?' a soft voice whispered, lips pressed against the flushed skin of her brother's neck, too scared to dare speak any louder in case they were overheard. 'Can we really escape?'_

_A hum was her only reply and yet she felt her body collapse in relief at the affirmation in only a single syllable._

' _I don't want to hurt anymore, nii-chan. We can be normal. Together.'_

' _We'll never be normal' the boy said, though his arms tightened around her as though to prove he wouldn't let go, regardless._

' _We can try,' the girl whispered back, more hopeful._

_A hope that was so futile and yet on that starry night, huddled beneath the blankets of their shared bed, the little girl had truly believed in that hopeful future where they would no longer be forced to hurt people, or be hurt in response. Where they could be free and only have each other._

_A life where they could be normal._

"That's impossible," Illumi's words were spoken to Killua and yet they seemed to respond to Nallui's reminiscent thoughts, too.

"Our only concern when meeting people is whether or not we should kill them, that's how we were trained, Killu. You cannot escape that." His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he stared down at Killua, unrepentant for his harsh words.

"You just don't know how to classify Gon. He's too dazzling for your eyes. You don't actually want to be friends with him, but you're caught up in his light. Your broken soul yearning for any kind of repentance."

The words made Nallui think of how her brother's face had looked when Gon had walked out of the forest on Zevil Island – that unrestrained joy within his eyes, the brightness making the blue shine the colour of the ocean.

She remembered her body quivering at the sight of his sheer love for his friend, recognising that bond, one she was still sure all Zoldycks felt when finding that special person in their lives – their _light_.

"If you stay with him, you'll end up wanting to kill him eventually. You'll feel the urge deep within you to see if you can kill him and the temptation will be too sweet to ignore."

Nallui felt her soul quiver at his words, knowing the truth behind them and yet disagreeing fundamentally with the core message.

_I could never harm Killu or Illu-ni…or any of my other siblings. I'd rather rid the rest of the world of their lives – extinguish every last life on this planet and then end my own existence before I ever entertained the thought of harming them._

"You have the soul of a killer. You cannot escape that fate."

_Glossy black eyes filling with tears as she stared back at the icy coldness seeped within her father's blue gaze. 'You can't escape this life, my daughter. It was destiny which granted me two perfectly healthy children to continue our line. That which brought you here. You cannot escape fate.'_

There was a commotion to her side and while Nallui was so deep in her own thoughts, Leorio had tried moving closer to the pair but was soon blocked off by one of the guards. The man was frustrated and while he continued shooting narrow-eyed stares her way, he must have quickly realised that Nallui had no intention of intervening on her brothers' discussion and had acted himself.

"Killua!" he shouted, getting the boys attention. "I don't give a damn if he's your brother! Don't listen to his worthless talk! Beat the crap out of him like you usually do and win!"

His words were intended to be encouraging but Nallui cocked her head to the side and blinked owlishly his way.

 _Killu…beat Illu-ni?_ _Does the man not realise the sheer power imbalance between the two?_

"That will not work," she said simply, her voice going mostly unheard of as Leorio only got progressively more irate.

"You want to be friends with Gon?" he repeated rhetorically, pointing a finger their way. "You already _are_ friends!"

Killua's reaction to those words was obvious in the way he jumped; surprise evident on his face. Nallui focused on that, wondering idly if her brother had believed their friendship to be unrequited, mostly one-way on his end.

Nallui had never felt the anxiety or worry that riddled most relationships. Illumi was her other half, her soulmate in every sense of the word, while her other siblings were family, the lights of her life and reason for existence.

She had never felt any other necessity for relationships outside of family and being isolated so thoroughly atop the mountain, locked inside their home for most of her life, the usual turbulence of emotions that was natural with a budding friendship was completely alien to her.

"Really?" Illumi asked in surprise, putting a hand to his chin as he contemplated the man's words, the confirmation of Killua's friendship with Gon giving him pause to think. "So he already considers Killu a friend…"

After a moment, he snapped his fingers, his conclusion already made.

"Then, I'll simply kill Gon."

The words were like glass shattering within the silent room and Killua's entire body spasmed in dawning horror. Nallui felt those around her shuffle in anxiety, the clarity to Illumi's words holding back none of his intent and making it clear he would go through with it.

His signature needles already within his hands, Illumi stared down at Killua with a completely blank expression, no emotion visible within his eyes. Instead, they seemed to spiral with an unending void of darkness.

"Killers don't need friends. Those outside only slow us down," he said, repeating the words they had been told so many times as children.

_The only people you need are your family. Assassins cannot trust anybody but themselves and those of our family. Zoldycks stick together._

Nallui knew that her brother was possessive of the things he saw as _his_. Nallui was the first and most important possession. Killua was his second. The fact that both of his possessions were as equally possessive over the other, too, was simply a bonus, lending itself to his desires in hoarding everything he wanted to himself.

"Where is he?" Illumi asked, walking towards the ornate door with casual grace.

One of the guards tried stopping him but Illumi spared him no glance as he waved his hand, half a dozen pins soaring through the air and landing into the plush skin of his face.

"Where is he?" Illumi asked once again, his voice coaxing a response from the man who was now nothing more than a shell – a puppet for Illumi to make dance as he desired.

"T-the waiting room…over there…" the man wheezed out between pained groans, the pins deforming his face into gruesome shapes.

Before he could get any closer to the door, however, three figures had moved to block his way. Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo stood resolute in front of the double doors, their stares determined and their bodies taut, ready to defend their choice by force if necessary.

"This won't do," Illumi said with a false sense of sadness. The pitch of his voice was high, his words coming out less threatening and more playful, unbothered by the entire situation. "I require a licence for my next job, but if I kill them then I'll fail," he lamented, tapping his chin in faux thought.

"The same thing will happen if you kill Gon," Nallui pointed out, surprising a few people as they'd briefly forgotten her presence in the drama unfolding in front of them.

Killua's head snapped her way, his eyes almost sad at the nonchalance in her tone. It wasn't that Nallui was particularly protective over Gon, only that if her brother cared for him so deeply, then she felt indebted to the boy and had resolved to keep him alive.

Illumi hummed at her words. "That's true…but if I pass the exam…then I can kill whoever I want without being disqualified, right?"

His words were directed at Netero, who had watched the entire situation escalate without a single word. The man nodded, confirming his theory.

"Did you hear that, Killu? If you want to save Gon, you'll have to beat me."

Nallui blinked at the turn of events, weighing up her options in her mind. She could leave the situation between the two of them, as she'd been programmed to do. After all, the issue was between Killua and Illumi, a disagreement that they had to resolve themselves. However, Nallui _had_ promised herself to protect Gon, if only because the boy made Killua happy.

She rocked back and forth on the heels of her feet as she pursed her lips, trying to decide what to do.

" _Oi!_ Zurui, aren't you going to do anything!?" Leorio called out from across the room and Nallui blinked at the sound of her fake name, meeting the man's angry stare.

"Me?" she asked softly. "I believe I told you my name was Nallui. Zurui was a fake, Leorio-san."

Leorio tsked, gritting his teeth at her easy-going tone. "Are you just going to let your brother treat Killua like that? Do something to stop it! Gon is Killua's _friend_!"

"Hmm…but I'm not supposed to get involved in family affairs. And my priority is Killu's safety. I don't care about anything else."

Her callous words seemed to hit Leorio, for his mouth opened in shock. Kurapika was staring at Nallui a little more intently, those grey eyes calculating as he gazed at her.

"Zur- no, Nallui-san, do you remember what you did that night on the airship?" he asked.

As they were speaking, Illumi had paused in his advancement on Killua. Both brothers were watching the conversation between their sister and the blonde in interest.

Nallui tilted her head, thinking back to the small amount of time she'd spent alone with the blonde boy. She remembered finding him sleeping next to Leorio and had stared at him for a while, comparing his relaxed expression to the calm, emotionless front he liked to wear during the day.

_Ah…and if I remember correctly, I took off my mask._

"You're not surprised to see my face, pretty boy," she said, remembering the name she'd given him during her time in the exam.

Kurapika cracked a small smile, though it was a little strained when his eyes darted towards Illumi for a brief second. Nallui wondered if the blonde was also putting the pieces together – of how intimately she'd spoken of Gittarackur, her 'partner' and the way he'd held her.

Now Kurapika knew they were family, was his opinion of her changing? Was he beginning to see the warning signs that often-steered others away from their family?

"I'd like to think that you trusted me at that moment," Kurapika said, his grey eyes a little softer than before. "We're friends, aren't we? Friends don't hurt each other."

 _Friends?_ Nallui blinked curiously at his statement, wondering what led him to that conclusion. Her gaze slide over to settle on Killua, who was already looking straight back at her with wide eyes.

_Those big, blue eyes she loved so much. Ahh…I hate seeing them darken in sadness…_

"Do you really care about Gon that much, Killu? Enough to cause so much trouble?"

She didn't intend her words to be harsh but it was an honest question. While she'd interpreted his love for the boy, she wanted him to acknowledge it for himself.

" _Yes_ ," he answered. It was a shaky exhale but his eyes shone with the determination his voice could not hold.

Her eyes narrowed for a brief second and then, like a switch had gone off in her head, Nallui's posture became languid, her face softening into something less robotic and more… _sensual_. Pink lips curled at the edges in a coy manner and her lids drooped so that she was staring at Killua from beneath thick lashes.

"Then you know what you need to do, Killu," she said lowly, her voice a soft purr.

Kurapika, Leorio and Hanzo, who had stood in the way of Illumi's threat stared at her directly, the atmosphere around her changing and warping into something darker, though altogether more alluring.

Hanzo, especially, had become guarded at the sight – remembering all too well the manic excitement he'd witnessed her display the time they had fought on Zevil Island. He didn't want that frenzied attention directed at him again anytime soon.

Illumi stared back at her blankly, watching without a word. Despite her earlier claims of non-involvement, Nallui didn't seem to want to back down now that she'd gotten started and was staring at Killua like a lioness, her eyes almost shining in a feral intensity.

"Just say the words, Killu," Nallui whispered almost hypnotically. Seductively.

" ** _Use me_**."

* * *

It was as though the words were whispered directly into his mind, hot breath fanning the shell of his ear with her silken promises.

The exact same words spoken to him on that fateful day – when he'd escaped their home only to run into his sister along the way. _Whispering sweet nothings into his ear, promising to aid in his escape if only he commanded it of her…_

What should he do?

He felt like he couldn't breathe, as though all the air in the room had disappeared - like being held underneath the waves to drown in his anxiety.

What was the right thing to say?

He stared at his sister, her presence that was usually so calming – a protective figure that chased away all of his fears had now become a string too tightly-strung, a willing weapon for him to draw back his bow and shoot – she had become his arrow, willingly taking down anything that opposed him.

_That's right…Nallu will make everything okay...she'll stop all of this if I just told her to..._

"Nallu-" Killua barely managed to whisper her name before Illumi interrupted once again, his once blank mask transforming, eyes gaining a cruel edge that cut deeper than before.

"You'd let her die?"

His words were seeped in ice as he practically hissed them through pursed lips. "You'd let your sister die to save your friend?"

Killua's eyes shot wide open at his accusatory tone. "Of course not!" he denied fervently.

Illumi didn't believe him. It was obvious in the way he looked down at Killua with such a haughty expression.

It was the same intensity that the eldest Zoldyck used so often to make his younger siblings feel so small in comparison. Those sharp eyes that cut so deep.

He moved his attention toward their sister, though Killua didn't fool himself into thinking he wasn't still pinned beneath that deadly stare.

"Nallu," his call was considerably softer than before, though the threat was still there, ready to strike. "If Killu orders you to kill me, you would do so."

His words were less of a question and more a statement. Nallui simply nodded, the three of them ignoring the shocked gasps some of their audience let slip.

"And once I'm dead, what would you do then?"

It was noted by all that Illumi did not deny that he would be the one to die if they both fought, the implication that he wouldn't be able to win was the easier pill to swallow compared to what Killua knew to be the truth.

It was a truth the boy liked to purposely ignore and shove to the deepest recesses of his mind because he _knew_ it went against everything he felt towards his brother.

Killua much preferred to view his brother as the unfeeling manipulator that he was and couldn't let the thought - the knowledge - that was undeniably true to sway him; that Illumi was incapable of truly hurting Nallui.

"I would kill myself."

Despite knowing, despite _bracing_ himself for it, Killua still felt like her nonchalant words were a bullet straight to the heart.

_How can you say that so casually? Speaking of your own death so easily, like you don't matter!_

His indignation was normal, but what Killua hated most was the burning question he'd held onto for so long.

_Why me? Why am I worth it?_

Killua had asked himself this question a lot within the last couple of years, as he'd grown up from the spoilt child he'd been and realised how not _all_ love was truly equal.

_How can you say you'll kill your own twin for me? Why me, Nallu? I'm not worth this. I'm not worth throwing your life away._

"So, Killu. What will you do?" Illumi had concentrated once again on the youngest Zoldyck.

"The only way to win against me is to _fight_ , but what you're really thinking is 'Can I win against him?' and we both know the answer to that." His tone was taunting, purposefully light to further push him closer to the edge.

"If we _do_ fight, then Nallu kills _me_ and then _herself_...truly a shame. So, I'll ask again," his voice had changed, becoming monotone and almost robotic as his wide, black eyes looked directly into terrified blue.

The manipulation and cruelty swirling in those bottomless depths like a hypnotic spell.

_"What will you do?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of everything in this chapter - I tried to make it obvious where the memories overlapped with the dialogue going on, it shows how Nallui and Illumi weren't always so twisted, and at one point, were very similar to Killua in wanting their freedom. Unfortunately, they had nobody to look out for them and slowly, that hope dwindled.
> 
> The switch to Killua-focus at the end was a spontaneous thing but I think it works well for that moment~
> 
> I'm putting this fic on hold for a little while (not too long!) but just why I finish up my Umbrella Academy story and deal with real-life (just moved house, university, etc) but I already have the next 3-4 chapters outlined, so I'll keep updating, it just may be slower than before. Thanks for continuing reading x


	12. inner demons

_“What will you do?”_

Nallui had moved forward to intervene, almost as though it was her body’s natural instinct and Killua shot his head her way, eyes wide and desperate.

“Onee-san, _please don’t_ ,” he practically begged, needing her to understand just _why_ she couldn’t stop this. Why he couldn’t let her get involved and end up dead.

All because of him. _Especially not for him_.

“Do you want this?” she asked, like it was as easy as saying _yes_ or _no_.

_As though this life or death situation could be solved simply by choosing correctly._

And so her question went ignored – he had no discernible answer to give her.

Sometimes, Killua felt like _he_ was the older sibling between them both. Despite her maturity and proficiency in almost everything, Nallui was remarkably naïve when it came to her emotions.

_Perhaps naïve isn’t the right word. More like apathetic. Passive._

_Willing to throw away things like morality and guilt._

Especially when it came to him.

 _Use me, Killu._ The mantra was like a sirens call that refused to pause for even a moment within his head.

Drowning in the mixed emotions he always felt when hearing her whisper such promises into his ear – _the dark pleasure he took in knowing that despite the bond Nallui and Illumi shared, she’d still pick him_ _over anybody else._ _The purring deep within that took joy in her obsession, that thrived on her infatuation –_

He’d tried forgetting the improper thoughts he’d had when he was younger, that still sometimes crawled their way from the deepest recesses of his mind and tortured him with fantasies – unwilling to ever be anything like Illumi.

He refused to be so depraved.

Secluded atop of Kukuroo mountain, with only family as company and a childhood of torture in the name of training, it was all too easy for impurity to fester. Almost encouraged by parental figures who were all too happy to give _the heir_ whatever it was he wanted if it would help him succumb to his darkness.

Killua was _desperate_ to escape that – determined to see the outside world in an effort to never let it happen.

He wouldn’t – _couldn’t ever_ – end up like Illumi, but as his brother continued to speak, whispering darkness into his mind, he realised that he’d never escape.

_It was futile to even try._

“You love her just as I do,” Illumi said with the barest hints of implication within his voice. “You won’t let her endanger herself despite knowing it’s the only way to stop me.”

Horror shone within blue eyes as his surroundings seemed to come crashing down around him. He attempted to open his mouth to refute his brother’s claims, tell him how stupid he was, how that wasn’t true – _how he would never fall so low as to love their sister in any other way than he should –_

How he didn’t sometimes imagine killing his eldest brother with his bare hands for entrapping their sister into a bond she’d never escape…

… _couldn’t escape, just like him._

Nallui would never leave their family’s clawing hands and it gave him nightmares because no matter how many times he told himself he would help her, make something of himself and take care of her and his other siblings, he continued to fail in every aspect.

After all, he’d still fell for the basic trap, succumbed to the weakness of every child; the promise of protection by someone you respected. Someone you knew would shelter you. Care for you.

Despite his mental proclamations and haughty ambitions, Killua was still nought but a child.

He’d still fell for her honeyed words and –

_Use me, Killu._

-used her.

“What will you do, Killu?”

A step closer – _He couldn’t beat him. Couldn’t ever hope of beating his brother._

“Tell me.”

A single hand outreached towards him – _Without Nallu he was useless._

“Choose.”

Darkness looming closer and closer, enclosing itself around him and Killua, like always, chose to run away from his problems. _Just like running away from his home and his twisted fantasies and just like right now where he felt like the air within the room was thinning because he couldn’t breathe –_

…“I give up.”

There was a poignant silent within the room at his whispered words. A silence that was almost louder than if a chorus of shouting and heckles had erupted.

Killua stood there amidst it all, silent and unmoving.

The silence was only broken by a single clap, a melodic chuckle that belied the true monster beneath rang out in morbid glee.

“Very good, Killu! You made the right choice,” Illumi congratulated his little brother, moving forward to pet the soft locks in a disturbed scene of brotherly love.

Illumi moved his face just an inch closer to Killua’s, staring into dead-blue eyes. “Killers don’t need friends. _We_ don’t need friends. You have family, that’s enough.”

His final words were whispered so quietly, so deceptively soft that they were as though a shared secret between them both, in contrary to the steely threat that was hidden beneath them.

_Zoldyck’s don’t need friends. Friends are distractions and distractions are eliminated._

The sordid truth of the matter slowly sank into Killua, seeping beneath his skin and taking route there with a fervid permanence. Not that it was much of a struggle – such things were never difficult when they preyed upon already existing insecurities.

Killua had always felt himself unworthy of friends. To accept the concept now was of little difficulty.

Though, the ache still remained.

What happened afterwards was simply a blur for the boy.

A mixture of confused questions by people he could not identify with, whose emotions were beyond his comprehension – a soft touch to his head, one much more appreciated than his brother’s steely grip, the faint scent of flora that his subconscious reminded him of his sister – and a world covered in red, red, **_red_**.

Sharp claws tearing through delicate flesh and red splattering against a porcelain cheek. His feet moving of their own accord and the distant sound of a female voice calling his name – _Killu, Killu, Killu!_ – and yet his body moved on its own, down a route he knew all-too-well, simply following his previous footsteps, retreating the way he had come.

Killua had escaped home in a fervency of chaos and panic – a boy excited to explore the outside world.

Killua would return home in a melancholic silence – a boy broken by his inner demons.

* * *

“Are you going to explain what the point of that entire performance was?” were the first words Nallui spoke to her twin.

The tournament had ended quite succinctly after Killua’s brutal actions, and while the girl had barely blinked at the death of Bodoro – people died every day, why would she expend energy when it didn’t concern her own family? – she still didn’t understand Illumi’s approach to their little brother.

“I presume you won’t listen if I said it didn’t matter?” he asked, blandly.

Nallui rose a single brow, unwilling to even dignify that with a response. Illumi blinked, briefly cancelling the effect of those large, black eyes before speaking clearly so that no guilt could be mistaken in his words.

“Father asked me to bring him home, and so I reminded him of his place. He could not be seen wandering around however he wished.”

“I know you could care less what Father asks of you, Illu-ni,” Nallui pointed out the contradiction in his answer. “Do not test me.”

Barely reacting to her words bar the slightest twitch of a high-arched brow, Illumi kept his mouth closed, clearly unwilling to share his thoughts. Narrowing her stare, Nallui felt the first stirrings of annoyance creep in.

She had been perfectly polite and patient as an observer to their conversation, allowing them both the chance to settle their differences between them. She had even offered to intervene on her little brother’s behalf, then proceeding to comply obediently when he’d told her _no_.

_I have given you both the opportunity to settle this as family-rules dictate._

“If Killu is gone, then I have no other reason to stay here,” she simply said, letting her brother interpret that however he wished.

Illumi opened his mouth to reply, but before the words could escape, he was interrupted by the loud booming of a door banging open.

As one, the remaining contestants turned their heads to the back of the room, where the sight of a boy clad in a green uniform stood, an angered expression on his face. One of his arms was tied up into a makeshift sling while a plaster was covering the wound on his forehead.

Nallui’s head naturally cocked to the side, interested to see how this would proceed to play out.

_Would the boy seek revenge for the duplicity on her part? Ask where his friend was? Or cower in the face of their looming intensity?_

She certainly hoped it wasn’t the last option. While Nallui didn’t particularly wish to engage in a fight with the boy – or perhaps _‘knock him when he was down’_ would be a better term? – she did realise that if Gon wished to seek out her little brother, then he would come to them, _his siblings_ , for answers.

Gon walked down the stairs with confidence; looking for all the world like he hadn’t just disrupted the lecture that was going on and instead only had eyes for the pair of twins sitting near the front. While Illumi was certainly his intended target – if the heated glare was any indication – the boy still greeted the girl first.

“Zurui.”

The use of her faux name, more like a title, really, caught her attention and she blinked languidly in response, looking up at the boy from her seated position through half-lidded eyes; those of a fox.

“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Nallui, Killu’s loving older sister.”

“Loving family don’t force their brother to kill,” Gon snapped with a deep frown. It seemed like the actions of her twin had really run the boy ragged. The way his hands were clutched tightly into little balls was indicative of his anger.

_A temper like that is dangerous…so fluid and ready to burst free; to drown everybody else around him while he selfishly rode the waves above._

_…Nallui loved it._

It thrilled her, all of that contained rage into such a tiny little form. Could she coax it out of him, encourage him along this path? How would that affect her Killu; would it nurture the darkness she _knew_ lived inside him?

“Perhaps we have different experiences of family,” she said politely, a friendly grin plastered on her face.

“I want you to apologise to Killua,” Gon finally settled on, diverting their conversation away from the topic of family and onto the main point of contention between them.

“Apologise? For what exactly?”

This wasn’t Nallui speaking, but Illumi, who had finally turned his head to regard the small boy that stood before them so bravely.

“You don’t even know what you did wrong?” Gon asked him in disbelief. “Then you don’t deserve to be his brother.”

“ _Deserve_?” Illumi repeated, his voice that childlike tone that he used whenever he truly could not comprehend something; when the basic of human emotions were so alien him. “Must I earn the right to be considered family?”

Illumi’s question seemed to stump the boy and the dark-haired Zoldyck carried on, further pushing his point. One of those large hands came to delicately cup Nallui’s jaw, bringing her face toward him so that their eyes met; noses almost touching.

“Must we earn the right to call one another brother and sister?” he asked lowly. His words were spoken purringly. “Earn the right to call Killu ours?”

“Never,” she spoke decisively, her eyes narrowing at just the thought of such an absurd concept existing. _She_ was Killua’s elder sister and always would be. _Nothing_ could change that; _nobody_ could.

_Nobody would dare whilst I still live to crush them for even trying._

Quite suddenly, her brother’s hand was ripped away from her face as Gon had taken a strong hold of it and used the momentum to lift the much older male into the air, dragging him away. Nallui blinked, surprised.

She watched his trajectory with faint amusement, as he fell back onto his feet with all the grace of a cat; light as a feather and without a single sound. Illumi remained unfazed, his expression blank as he stared down at the boy that still held his arm so tightly.

When Gon began tightening his hold, crushing Illumi’s arm, Nallui sat still.

When her brother’s arm made a low groan and snap, she still, remained seated.

When those around them began discussing – or more like arguing – over the logistics of what had happened, accusing Illumi of brainwashing their little brother and generally descending into a chaos of bickering between them of just _who_ was deserving of being there – Nallui ignored it all.

However, when Gon began speaking, telling them that he didn’t need any apology, and that instead, he would be going directly to save Killua; that he was going to _never let them see him again_ ; she snapped.

Reaching out a hand towards the boys exposed head, the powerful aura of killing intent overflowed around her; pouring out from where it had been previously bottled up so immaculately; leaking through to taint the entire room in an oozing aroma of bloodlust and _murder_.

With keen instincts, Gon managed to jump away from her reach at the last second, releasing Illumi’s arm in the process as he watched her warily.

Nallui’s eyes were shaded, deadened at the mere threat muttered through such naïve lips; her hair almost rose from the sheer power exhibited in her anger and when she spoke, the words were like ice caressing flushed skin.

“Keep him away from me?” the words grated along like nails upon a chalkboard. “You’ll take Killu away? _From me_?”

Gon gulped, understandably alarmed by the sudden shift in the girl’s temperament. Hazel eyes glanced at the male Zoldyck, who remained eerily calm; watching his sister’s descent with obvious satisfaction burning from those dark eyes.

“I wouldn’t shift your attention so easily, Gon-kun.”

Her voice was whispered directly into his ear and the boy jumped in place, caught off guard at how quickly and silently she’d moved, now directly beside him. “You’ll lose sight of the danger.”

“Zurui- I mean, Nallui…you care about Killua, don’t you?”

“He’s my precious little brother,” she answered, as though it explained everything. Which, to her, it did. Family was everything.

“And you want him to be happy, right?” Gon ventured slowly, starting to understand just how to deal with the girl when it came to the subject of his friend.

“I would flatten the entire world if it made him merely smile,” she whispered, the words said so breathily it made goosebumps rise on Gon’s arms.

He tried to ignore the eerie sensation and instead latched onto her fixation, using it to his advantage. He was only all-too-lucky that when it came to Killua, Nallui’s keen awareness of manipulation loosened; her rigidity forgotten if it meant making her brother happy.

“Then don’t you think being with his friends would make him the happiest?”

Her eyes narrowed, shrewd. “That would take him away from me,” she pointed out. “If you try and take Killu away from me I’ll kill you. I’ll kill anybody that even thinks about separating us.”

Gon didn’t seem to shy away from her possessive tone and merely nodded his head, looking surprisingly pleased by her words.

“Good! Killua needs a big sister who will look out for him!” he said, his voice almost returning to its usual jovial tone. “If you promised to let him have fun then I’m sure Killua would love to stay with his Onee-san, too! After all, we’re friends aren’t we, Nallui-san?”

Silvery-white hair fell in shimmers down her back as she threw her head back and laughed; amused entirely by the boy’s speech.

_What a spectacle! This tiny little boy, so delicate I could snap his spine like a twig beneath my foot and yet he stands here, brazen and unafraid as he suggests we get along like friends._

Nallui licked her lips; a sudden intrigue developing within her, the spiralling sensation of greed and hunger forming within her gut. _What a treat, indeed._

Coming down from her high and lowering herself so that her face was level with Gon’s, Nallui brought the boy’s face close to her own and pressed a kiss directly to the centre of his forehead, right above the plaster.

“I’ll hold you to that, Gon-kun. For Killu’s sake, I’ll let you all live. Aren’t I the best Onee-san?”

Gon, who at first was a little taken aback by the physical contact, quickly got over it and grinned widely, ignoring Illumi’s looming presence behind him in favour of the saner-twin. _Well, what he supposed could be classed ‘sane’. He’d take the possessive yet loving sister over the psychotic brother._

“The best!” he agreed with the enthusiasm expected of him.

Their conversation was ultimately interrupted by Netero, who had been watching the entire drama unfold so far in silence, that bemused smile still plastered on his face. Now, however, he bored them with the details of their Hunter licences, the information of which Nallui blanked out, uninterested.

She’d only joined this exam to keep an eye on her little brother, and while the Hunter licence was certainly a bonus to have in her arsenal, that did not mean she engaged in any way with the conversation. Once that was over, the newly-titled Hunters all filed from the room.

Her twin had yet to say anything further on the matter and Nallui watched him through lowered-lashes, awaiting the confrontation she knew would arise. Gon had yet to finish speaking to his little group of friends and when the twins walked into a shaded area of the outside courtyard, she lost sight of his green uniform.

Her head hit stone as her body was pushed against the wall and while the action was sudden, the girl simply blinked languidly back at her brother, who stared at her from barely a centimetre away; faces flush. His fingers were tight around her throat but she felt no fear, only the stirrings of arousal.

He didn’t seem to care for their leering observer, the magician hidden mostly by the shadows.

“You’re going to let Killu leave,” he accused lowly.

“It would make him happy.”

“ _You_ will leave with him.”

That seemed to be the real issue and now that he’d voiced it, the aura surrounding him darkened with anger and betrayal. Nallui’s lashes fluttered and a pink tongue darted out to wet her lips.

She could almost _taste_ his bloodlust.

“I’ll never leave you.”

“Liar.”

“Killu can’t leave for long,” she argued softly; swallowing just to feel the grip on her throat tighten, sending a pleasant rush to her head. “He’ll get a taste of the outside world and realise how fucked up Mother and Father are. In comparison, his precious Onee-san and Aniki will be infinitely preferable.”

Illumi’s eyes tightened and she knew he understood.

“ _Our family_ will remain? I will not allow you to escape me if you intend on never returning,” he warned darkly. “I’ll keep you by force if I have to. Do not test me, Nallu.”

The fact that her brother had so little faith in her was something she couldn’t allow and so she pushed up against his hold, letting his grip choke her in order to press their lips together; the taste of decadence and sin perfectly encapsulated in lips as red as rose petals.

Pulling back; hot breath fanning wet lips and identical eyes staring back at the other, she whispered so softly she would not be heard were they not so close.

“Living without you would be impossible, Illu. Akin to serving my time in purgatory and a life I will fight to avoid at any costs,” she declared passionately. “Just as you would threaten to force me to stay by your side, I would do the same. If the thought of leaving my side in permanence even entered your mind, I would tie you up for my own pleasure for the rest of our lives.”

She pressed their lips together once more; tongues melding in desperate fervency. “You are _mine_. Until we both perish on this earth and even beyond that. _Mine_.”

A cough interrupted their rather intense discussion and both pairs of identical eyes turned to greet their intruder; looking down at Gon who was backed by both a wary Kurapika and Leorio. The last two especially were trying their hardest not to make their staring obvious, though Nallui could easily detect their discomfort with her and Illumi’s blatant display of intimacy.

“Can we help you?”

“I want you to tell me where Killua is,” despite speaking first, Gon’s words were not directed at Nallui and instead, Illumi.

“Are you really going to take him away?” Illumi asked, the low purring of his voice had been replaced by his usual monotone. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“I don’t care what you think!” Gon snapped. “He’s my friend and I’m taking him with me!”

Rather than allow her possessive urges to take control again, Nallui stayed perfectly still as she listened to the boy’s words, rationalising the pros of a situation like this.

Just as she’d told her brother earlier, if Killua were to leave their family home now and explore the world, would he not sooner see how much better life could be beyond the clawing hands of their mother and father?

Of course, what Nallui wanted most was to achieve her perfect family alongside her twin; to cultivate her siblings into the ideal world she’d envisioned, one where they could truly be proud of the Zoldyck name; where she would provide them with everything they wanted.

Where they would no longer be puppets for their parents or grandfather.

“Do they feel the same way?” Illumi asked, referring to the two shadows that stood behind the boy, almost protectively.

Leorio steeled his expression as he answered, “You can bet!”

Kurapika was much more reserved, yet his gaze flickered her way for a moment. “They’re our friends,” was his only reply, though the inclusion of herself did not go unnoticed.

Illumi’s grip upon her neck had lessened as the conversation drew on, but at the blonde’s attention it tightened considerably in his unconscious distaste. Nallui gave off no indication that her airway was being blocked, looking to the world perfectly serene.

In fact, she felt her stomach clench pleasantly at the sensation and thought that, perhaps, she would treat her brother to some alone time once they arrived home. For being so wonderfully accommodating to her whims and giving her so much attention recently.

_Yes, I’ll treat him well before I take a little trip with Killu; tide him over whilst I coax our little brother onto the right path._

“Fine,” Illumi relented after staring momentarily into Nallui’s eyes.

It was obvious the girl was to be going with them on their trip back home, and now that he’d gained his promise of her return, Illumi cared little for what else the trio did. He even released the tight grip upon her neck, letting his hand fall back to his side.

“Killu went back home; to Kukuroo Mountain. Our family lives at the very top.”

“ _Kukuroo Mountain_? Could you title it any more ominous?” Leorio muttered, scrunching up his face at the eery name.

“Got it, thanks.” Gon said and before turning to leave, he directed his gaze to Nallui. “Are you coming too, Nallui-san?”

The girl grinned wide, sharp teeth on full display. “I suppose getting home the long way wouldn’t be so bad,” she mused, a finger to her lips. “I’ll lead you to the gates, but how you get into our home from there will be up to you. How does that sound?”

Gon grinned, easy-going as always. “Great! Thanks!”

“How about you three wait for me by the courtyard? I’ll speak to my brother and meet you in a short while.”

Gon nodded with a large smile while Kurapika and Leorio merely nodded, the blonde’s wary eyes glancing briefly Illumi’s way. With that, the trio turned back and disappeared from sight of the twins.

“Is it alright for assassins to be so loose-lipped on their private lives?” Hisoka purred, revealing himself from within the shadows.

“It’s not like it’s secret or anything,” Nallui said flippantly and Illumi hummed. “The locals all know where we live,” he revealed.

Golden eyes moved to rest on the exposed bruise on Illumi’s arm and the man hummed, confirming the magician’s unspoken thoughts. “It’s certainly broken.”

His tone of voice was completely free from any pain or bother. Just like Nallui, Illumi barely felt anything anymore, with pain being one of the many positives to come from such naturally damaged nerves. Neither twin particularly felt much in regards to the external world, and it was only with each other that their bodies felt like they truly came alive.

“He certainly has potential…” Nallui mused, licking her lips at just the thought of such raw power being displayed; unleashed onto the world without constraints.

“ _Oya_?” Hisoka whispered. His body moved like a wisp as he came to stand directly behind Nallui; who throughout the conversation with Gon had moved so that she was no longer pushed against the wall.

The heat from his body seeped into her skin. The arousal that he felt so strongly; so openly and without a trace of shame enveloped her and Illumi alike. The girl tipped her head back so that she could meet his golden gaze, their faces merely inches apart at his crowded proximity.

For once, Illumi said nothing against it.

“ _Koneko-chan_ , could it be you’re anticipating his growth? Waiting for it to ripen before the picking?”

She rose a brow at his analogy; questioning whether she could relate to his words or not.

Did she wish to see Gon get stronger for the same reasons as Hisoka? Unlikely. The only people that interested her were Illumi and Killua, as well as the rest of her siblings. Anybody else was, while a passing fancy or intrigue, ultimately pawns. Replaceable and momentary.

What she did know, however…

“I want to see the effect he’ll have on Killu.”

“Oh?” Hisoka sounded intrigued, regardless of her disinterest in his own inclinations.

“They’re already linked, I can see it. Whatever happens with Gon will directly involve Killu, ultimately shaping his way of viewing the world. I want to see that happen, I want to see him grow and shape and choose,” as she spoke, a brightness entered her eyes. “Whether he’s brought into the light or becomes slowly bathed in darkness…”

She took a breath, letting it out slowly as her mind spun with possibilities, every instance all the more interesting; lighting a fire within her, one she hadn’t felt in so long.

“I want to watch it happen. I want to give him everything he wants, even if that’s freedom from the restrictions of our family name.”

“He’ll change,” the words were whispered into her ear, Illumi’s deep, drawling tone warning her of the possible consequences of letting Killua free.

Sharp nails cupped her chin to tilt her face just right, so that the magician could also whisper into her other ear, his tone a crooning melody. “ _Precious otouto_ , becoming a man on his journey, hm?”

“He’ll still be Killu and that’s all I care about.” Her voice was confident and firm. This was something she couldn’t be moved on. “Whether he saves the world or drags it into hell; I’ll stand by his side and comply with whatever he wishes.”

A pink tongue darted from ruby lips to swipe at the wetness there; the thought of single-handedly crushing her little brother’s enemies with her own hands, being commanded and used so thoroughly by his selfish desires sent a thrill throughout her.

“I can’t wait to see how he turns out,” she said, uncaring of just how psychotic her voice sounded as she whispered the words aloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for being patient with the slow uploads - uni sucks x


	13. trip back home

Nallui, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio were sat around a small table on the bustling train heading straight for her home which lay in the Dentora region. The weather was bright and while a cool breeze whooshed in through the open window, it wasn’t distracting.

The trio accompanying her all had their heads hanging out of the window, smiling brightly at the scenery around them. The familiar mountains rushed by in a blur but Nallui paid them little attention, after all, she passed these very same hills and cliffs whenever she ventured from the mansion.

“There it is…” Leorio finally spoke up – their journey so far had been mostly quiet.

When Nallui had first approached the trio, all smiles and a friendly invitation to her home, Kurapika and Leorio, while wary, had followed their smallest friend’s lead in trusting her. She’d laughed when they’d sheepishly tried to pay her back for their tickets, all of which she’d purchased the minute she’d separated from her twin. If she was to be their guide, then she’d do it correctly; after all, what was the Zoldyck fortune good for, if not taking care of her… _guests_?

“You really live on top of that creepy mountain Zurui?” Leorio asked and the girl smiled in exasperated amusement.

“How many times must I repeat myself, Leorio-san? It’s Nallui,” she reminded him. “ _Na-llu-i_.”

The man scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Yeah, yeah. It’s not my fault you hid your identity for so long,” he grumbled. “And just Leorio is fine…”

“Ne, Nallui! What’s it like living on top of a mountain?” Gon asked in such childish wonder, only looking back for a second to ask his question before staring out at the ominous mountain ahead.

“…Normal,” she said, unsure what the boy meant by the question. “I’ve lived there my entire life, so I suppose I wouldn’t know any different…” she mused, a finger to her lips. “Our entire family has always lived there.”

“Your entire family?” Kurapika asked, edging for more information.

Nallui nodded, the wind from the open window was causing her hair to whip around her face like falling snow. So white it was almost blinding.

“I have five siblings, as well as my parents, my grandfather and my great-great-grandfather living there – that makes ten of us.”

Leorio looked disturbed at how many more family members she had, especially considering the less than stellar impression they’d made so far…while Kurapika looked intrigued.

“Nallui, you helped Killua escape, right?” this time, it was Gon who was speaking and his usual-jovial voice had pitched down a little. “Why did you do that?”

“Huh? Help him escape?” Leorio muttered, confused.

Nallui nodded her head to his question. “Of course. It was what he wanted,” she said, as though that explained everything.

“Then why were you so keen on dragging him back?”

“I wasn’t,” she denied Leorio’s accusation, face placid and unfazed. “Illu-ni wants him home, and while I certainly would rather Killu exactly where I can see him, if he wants to leave, I will not stop him.”

“You’d really do anything he asks…wouldn’t you?” Kurapika asked quietly. His grey eyes were surprisingly soft.

“Yes,” she answered simply.

“No matter _what_ he asked?” Kurapika pushed, wanting the truth. “Is what Gittar- _no_ , what Illumi said true? That you would have killed him and yourself if Killua asked you to?”

“ _Yes_ ,” she answered again without hesitation.

Leorio let out his breath in a loud whoosh, blinking wildly at her. “No way…” he muttered. “I thought that was all a ruse to gain control…”

“Illu-ni hardly lies. He has no need to when the truth fits his purposes,” she explained. The scenery outside caught her eye and she abruptly stood, surprising her companions. “We’re here,” she announced. “Let’s go.”

Gon immediately followed her lead, leaping over the table to stand beside her, grinning widely as they steadily got closer to seeing Killua again. Leorio and Kurapika hurried to follow along, grabbing their bag and briefcase before the train could leave without them.

“We’re here, already?” Kurapika asked, frowning as he looked pointedly towards the sight of the ominous mountain.

“No, this is as close as the train will go. However, there’s a tour bus that will take you up the hill,” she explained. “I’ve never used it before, but I’ve heard it’s quick and effective for those who cannot scale mountains.”

“Scale…mountains?” Leorio muttered in dread, apprehensive about the thought of scaling the dark, gloomy mountain that loomed above them.

Nallui had already walked on ahead, smiling coyly at the tourist guide; a woman with vibrant strawberry-blonde hair and pretty eyes, flirting shamelessly in an effort to snatch four tickets upon the already-full bus.

The trio watched on as Nallui successfully managed to acquire their passage, unrepentantly stealing them from a small family – no guilt on her expression at her actions. The girl waved them over, and so the four of them boarded the bus as it took off on its scenic journey of the landscape, including the infamous _Kukuroo Mountain_.

Once the bus journey began, the pretty tour guide began her scripted speech about the beautiful scenery around them, detailing all of the interesting facts for foreigners, including the mentioning of the mountain where a family of infamous assassins lived.

“Guys,” Leorio whispered, getting their attention.

Nallui, who was sitting in front of the man and the blonde, beside Gon, peered back with a raised brow.

“Look over there,” he nodded in the direction of two suspicious-looking men; their expressions bored and uninterested in the landscape and the tour guide’s speech. As well, their clothing was intended for wear; thick leather and durable cloth usually suited to bandits and thieves.

“They obviously aren’t tourists…” Leorio muttered and Nallui hummed lightly, eyes glittering with dark amusement.

 _Likely here intending on storming the Zoldyck home…I’m sure Mike will appreciate the extra meal…_ she mused, her lips quirking at the thought of their family pet.

“Everyone!” the guide called out to get their attention. “If you’d look to your right, you will see Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lives!”

Gon looked ecstatic, face pressed against the glass as he stared wide-eyed at the black mountain; smoke obscuring most of its volcanic shape. The woman continued listing the usual bland information regarding the mountain and their estate, emphasising how nobody had ever seen the actual mansion before.

“The Zoldyck family is made up of ten known members; a Great-great-grandfather, Grandfather, Father, Mother and then there are six children.”

Leorio and Kurapika glanced Nallui’s way as the girl was listening to the tour guide intently, amused at what little information was available of her family, and yet simultaneously impressed that they knew enough to distinguish its members.

_Though I wouldn’t be surprised if mother had something to do with that…she did say that the best-kept disguises are behind obvious truths. Nobody questions further when they’re given an easy answer._

“Nallui,” Kurapika said quietly, loud enough for only the four of them to hear.

The girl looked back calmly, blinking once in question.

“Why is your family so intent on keeping Killua locked away?”

“He’s the family heir. Mother and Father believe that he should be learning how to run the Zoldyck matters as soon as possible, as is proper.”

“The heir?” Leorio mumbled, taken aback by the old-fashioned term. “What does that even mean? Isn’t he only twelve?”

“Then if Killua’s the heir – where does that leave you?” Kurapika asked instead. “You and Illumi are both much older than Killua…are any of your other siblings older than him, too?”

“Milluki is five years older than Killu,” she revealed.

“Then, why aren’t any of you guys the heir instead?”

His question was a good one and it got the attention of both Leorio and Gon, too, the younger interested in anything that had to do with his new best friend.

“The Zoldyck family heir always inherits the silver hair,” she said simply, as though that rule didn’t sound ludicrous.

“That rules out your broth- _Illumi_ ,” Kurapika said, changing his mind last minute and using her twin’s name rather than his relationship to herself.

_Interesting…so he acknowledges our relationship and yet refuses to voice it aloud? Perhaps he’s still uncomfortable about it all?_

“But what about yourself and… _Milluki_?” he said, testing out the stranger’s name.

Killua had once wondered the very same thing upon being told of his future responsibility, pointing out how he wasn’t the only, or _first_ child to be born with a striking head of silvery-white hair. Nallui had given her little brother the same explanation then as she gave her companions now, one that her father had told her as a teen.

“That’s simple,” Nallui said with a chuckle. “Milluki inherited our mother’s dark hair while I’m a woman, therefore I naturally cannot inherit the heirship.”

There was a silence after her explanation where the trio stared back at her blankly, eyes-wide at the backwards logic and reasoning.

“Isn’t that a little…” Kurapika started and Leorio finished his sentence. “ _Archaic_?”

“I was thinking _misogynistic_ , but Leorio’s right,” Kurapika said dryly.

Nallui hummed, contemplating their words. She supposed they were right, though it had never concerned her much. It made perfect sense to her for Killua to inherit the heirship; after all, hadn’t she been told multiple times how powerful he was, and just how much potential he held within him?

While she certainly didn’t like her parents, Nallui knew how much her father and grandfather cared for the Zoldyck name, and so she knew they would have only chosen the best of them to inherit the title.

To Nallui, choosing Killua was the only thing her parents had done that she wholeheartedly agreed with.

“That’s the way it’s always been,” was all she could say, not particularly bothered by her family’s misogyny. “Killu is undoubtedly the perfect choice, regardless.”

“I suppose so…” Kurapika murmured, grey eyes so intelligent and watching her closely. Nallui let him; she found the blonde amusing, in his own way.

_Hiding so much rage and turmoil behind such a pretty face…sounds familiar._

“We’ve arrived!”

“Finally!” Leorio moaned, standing as the bus came to a stop and groaning as his back popped.

“I don’t believe your body is supposed to make such a noise at your age,” Nallui mused. “I _am_ older than you, after all.”

“I still can’t believe that,” the man muttered, eyeing her shrewdly as she stood from her seat; lithe form belaying her demonic strength.

She hummed, eyeing both him, Kurapika and Gon as they descended the bus. “You all remind me of my younger siblings,” she mused. “Especially you,” she said to the blonde. “You remind me a lot of my little brother, Kallu.”

“Kallu?” Gon asked, looking up at her with bright eyes, bouncing in his spot. It seemed like he’d finally had enough of being silent and taking in the view, and now looked eager to see his friend.

“He is younger than you, so if you ever meet him, you must be friendly.”

“Got it!” Gon grinned, showing her a thumbs up. “So long as he isn’t as bad as your twin we’ll get along just fine!”

Gon’s words were unrelenting and Kurapika and Leorio flinched, looking to her reaction as though they expected her to lash out. Nallui, instead, chuckled at the young boy’s view of her brother.

“Don’t judge Illu-ni so harshly, Gon-kun. He cares about our family as any older brother should.”

Gon harrumphed, crossing his arms and sticking out his tongue in her direction. “Nu-uh.”

Nallui quirked her brow, an amused smile on her lips. She bent down to pinch his cheek harshly, grinning at the yelp he released. “Judging others so rashly won’t make you any friends. You’ll only make enemies, Gon-kun.”

“ _Den wut bout you_?” he asked, his words slurred from her actions.

“What _about_ me?” she asked, finally letting go of his cheek.

“Don’t you make enemies?” he rubbed his sore cheek with a petulant pout.

Nallui laughed, smiling beautifully as the wind directed her hair into a striking white halo around her head. It was a deceptively serene image. “I have plenty of enemies. The difference is I can _dispatch_ of mine.”

Wide-eyed, Gon blinked, hazel eyes alight.

“Understand? If you’re going to make enemies, you have to be willing to get rid of them,” she whispered lowly, leaning close to the boy’s face so that he was staring directly into her large, dark eyes.

Intoxicated by such blinding innocence, Nallui felt a thrumming need to whisper even the barest suggestion to the boy while she could. “Unless you have somebody to do the dirty work for you…” she whispered directly into his ear. “If you _use_ somebody.”

“Gon! Nallui!” Kurapika called out to the pair from a couple of metres away, Leorio beside him, the both of them beside the group of tourists all taking pictures of the large, looming gates.

Nallui pulled back from the boy, smiling easily. “Let’s go, Gon-kun,” she said, running a hand through the boy’s spiked-black hair. “Give what I said some thought, hm? If you’re going to be sticking around Killu, that makes you my responsibility too.”

Gon watched Nallui leave; her slim frame and swaying silver hair a stark contrast to the dark granite gates in the distance.

“Oi, Nallui, is it true that nobody’s ever made it past there alive?” Leorio said with his glasses askew, looking disturbed as he pointed towards the gate.

“Only Zoldycks are allowed inside,” she answered simply.

“Then how are we supposed to get to Killua?” Kurapika asked the golden question, to which Nallui smiled beguilingly, pressing a finger to her lips.

“I believe I told you I’d get you all _here_ , not _inside_ , hm?”

The blonde let out a weary sigh, remembering their agreement while Gon was staring up at the gates in wonder. Looking at the towering doors gave Nallui a sense of nostalgia, remembering the endless days spent tirelessly forcing those barriers to part, all in the name of training.

As the girl zoned out of the guide’s information dump, Nallui subtly gazed at the two men she’d seen on the bus, wearing the suspicious gear and hunting attire. They stood out like a sore thumb, surrounded by buzzing tourists; their sullen expressions contrasted to the excited chatter of foreigners. Even compared to her own little rag-tag group, they were obviously outsiders.

Nallui herself was drawing many stares, but for completely different reasons. Rather than fear her, many of the tourists were surprised at her unusual appearance. How often was it that they came across a tall beauty with hair the colour of the moon and arms covered in bandages, as exposed as she was; her kimono having been tied around her waist once again, for the sun was beating down heavily upon the mountain top and so the only covering of her chest was the wrap of white gauze.

“Well, I suppose this is my time to leave,” she announced, recognising the mounting attention coming her way. Narrowing her eyes, she glanced toward the trio she’d brought alongside her, smiling charmingly. “Good luck getting inside – I suppose I shall see you all if you succeed, hm?”

“We’ll definitely do it!” Gon declared passionately and Nallui smiled at his determination.

 _I’ll make something of you yet,_ she mused to herself. _So devoted to Killu already…yes, you’ll be perfect._

Leaning down to press a firm kiss to the boy’s forehead, Nallui grinned; pearly fangs on full display. “I’ll hold you to that, Gon-kun.” She looked at Kurapika and Leorio and winked. “Don’t drag him too far behind, pretty boy, old man.”

“Old man!?” Leorio predictably snapped. “You said it yourself: you’re older than I am!”

“But I don’t look it,” she added cheekily. “That’s all that matters in this world.”

“ _Hah_!?”

Nallui laughed at having ruffled the man’s feathers so easily. Meeting Kurapika’s stare, she tapped a manicured finger against her lips. “I’ll give you a clue; speak to the man guarding the gate. I’m sure he’ll have a rather… _inspired_ idea of getting you inside.”

With that said, Nallui disappeared from sight within the blink of an eye. Taken aback, the trio looked around themselves for any sights of the girl but were stumped. She’d seemingly vanished from thin air. The tour guide soon caught their attention again and they became focused on their next course of action. _Operation: get inside the gates of hell!_

. . .

Sprinting through the forest that surrounded the mansion – giving Mike a thorough petting as she passed; the poor beast had been put on a diet and was restricted in his meals. Nallui thought her parents should just release him from the gates and let him gorge himself on whoever was unfortunate enough to pass by, but she digressed – the trees rushed past her in a blur as she sped by.

The forest was dense and thick with undergrowth; perfect for ensnaring hapless victims who paid little attention to their surroundings.

_A small girl running through the dark, eerie woods, calling out her brother’s name. Calling for anybody who would listen._

_Why wasn’t anybody listening? Why could nobody hear her? Where was Illu-ni? Why had father sent her out here, alone?_

_Didn’t he know she couldn’t see anything?_

_Didn’t he realise she was scared?_

_The small girl tripped for the hundredth time that night, disregarding the bloody trail oozing down a pale leg; her nerves still fried from yesterday’s training session within the white room._

_She didn’t like to think about the white room._

_The white room was associated with pain._

_No, the girl thought she’d much rather be outside, alone and lost in the woods than unable to move within a room too blinding to see._

_The snap of a branch was heard and she whipped her head around wildly, trying in vain to pinpoint its location._

_“Illu-ni?”_

_…_

_Another snap, this time closer. Heavy breathing and the rustling of leaves._

_“Oni-chan?”_

_…_

_“Anyone?”_

_A low growl and the unmistakable aura of bloodlust._

_Shaking hands gripped skinny knees; the blood soaking thin fingers and stinging existing lacerations. Another snap._

_“Please…Illu-ni…where are you?”_

Nallui refused to admit, even to herself, how fast she slammed the door shut as she entered the mansion; closing off the deafening silence of the forest and the memories it held alongside it. There was nothing to fear from pitiful childhood memories; she was an assassin with more blood on her hands than cold-blooded murderers around the world.

_To be afraid of things you cannot control is a sign of weakness. To admit fear is a sign of weakness. Zoldycks do not have weaknesses, only strengths._

Repeating the family mantra within her head as she stretched her body, Nallui surveyed her surroundings. She’d entered from a side door, meaning she’d arrived within the kitchen area that led onto the main entryway.

With delicate footsteps; silent and unassuming as a spectre, she made her way through the house, leaving not a trace of her existence behind.

The last thing she wanted was to encounter her mother, especially if she intended on retrieving Killu and allowing him to escape, once again.

Clicking her neck, she recalled the punishment she’d endured when her parents had discovered her little brother’s disappearance and her part in allowing it to happen. When Nallui had reassured Killua that she’d taken all the blame, she wasn’t completely lying.

Of course, she’d attempted to do so but Silva and Zeno weren’t blind to Nallui’s obsessive love for her brother and knew that if anybody were able to track the boy down to the ends of the earth, it would be her. Therefore, it was only too obvious just _who_ had let the boy slip through the family’s defences – after all, they had a particular coding system with the butlers for this very kind of occurrence, and only someone as skilled as herself could have interfered with it so seamlessly.

Nallui regretted nothing, and she knew that her father understood just as well. Zeno, too. Neither man was persuaded of her apologies as Kikyo had been, the woman glomping her daughter and reassuring her that all was forgiven if only her wonderful daughter would retrieve their precious Killua.

No, Silva and Zeno were well aware of the girl’s psychopathy – of _both_ twin’s tendencies and lack of morality – and were active in monitoring it. Ensuring that it didn’t reach a point where they’d compromise the entire family and everything they’d worked for.

Silva was an intelligent and shrewd man, understanding that the key to controlling his powerful and dangerous daughter – of who he knew, without a doubt, would kill him without a shred of guilt – was through Killua. And Illumi, who was just as unpredictable and volatile, had the singular weakness of his twin sister.

The head of the Zoldyck Family, though an understandably paranoid man, was confident if only because he knew the exact weaknesses of all those around him and had the ability to utilise them to his benefit.

That was why, when he heard a light knocking upon his door without any previous signs of life within the building, he did not panic and simply called the girl inside.

“Father,” she greeted monotonously, inky-black eyes glancing at his form impassively.

Silva was a man of composure, but even he could admit to finding his two eldest children’s eyes a disturbing experience; alike to glimpsing into an endless void.

They were nothing like those who’d they’d inherited them from, for Kikyo’s eyes had been a gleaming obsidian, not the bottomless black that mirrored your very face back at you. The eldest Zoldyck children were truly his finest creations; talented in assassination, powerful beyond imagination and lacking basic morality.

Yes, they were the perfect tools in furthering the Zoldyck name.

Only, the head had made one mistake in his first attempts at child-raising. He’d miscalculated the effect an innate born tendency for psychopathy would have on growing children. Silva had intended for his children to lack morals as a result of training and self-control…however, he’d watched in morbid fascination as his two children had adapted into actual monsters.

Unable to feel empathy for those around them, bar their pairing, Silva had been harbouring a sense of dreadful anticipation to see them in action. _And they had not disappointed._

Though…he supposed the rather, disturbing outcomes of his heavy-handed discipline had resulted in relationships he wasn’t as pleased with.

“Nallui,” he greeted amicably. “Where’s your brother?”

“Illu-ni is busy on a job,” Nallui replied, the slightest curl of a smirk visible on her red lips.

 _That_. That was the part Silva had not accounted for in all his foolish grandiose.

To think that his two children – _his twins, his own flesh and blood_ – would succumb to the loneliness and strife of their situations by indulging in such…taboo relations. When he’d first found out, catching the pair inappropriately touching one another in their shared bedroom, he’d understandably punished them both terribly.

Neither had been able to complete missions for days afterwards – a punishment that no normal people, let alone children would have survived. Instead, the pair had faced their reprimands and disappointment with blank expressions, continuing to clutch onto the other’s hand without any fear of further punishment.

“Ah, I see,” he said. “Why don’t you take a seat, my daughter?”

“ _Father_ , that won’t be necessary.” She said the title so strained it bordered on irony; it was spoken in humour, almost mocking and Silva expected no less.

He had created the girl in front of him, after all.

Every part of Nallui, from the good to the bad, was his responsibility and that was why, despite finding such an aversion to the knowledge that two of his children were romantically and sexually involved, he turned a blind eye. He knew his father did the same thing, too.

For the sake of peace within the family.

Nallui and Illumi were simply too unpredictable and dangerous to consider reprimanding or controlling at this stage of their lives. While Silva was certain he would win should it come down to it, he couldn’t be sure of the damage that would be caused as a consequence. He wasn’t willing to sacrifice everything they’d worked for in the fruitless effort of policing his wayward children.

_Killua’s birth was a blessing for more than one reason, it seems. If the boy can control such a monster as her, then all the better for us. If that means keeping him happy and unaware until he is ready to take on the responsibility of the heirship, then so be it._

“I want to see Killu.”

“I’m sure you’re already aware of where he is,” Silva drawled.

“Of course,” she responded promptly. “I’ve heard it’s polite to ask before forcing your way inside,” she said, the threat clear in her words. _Let me see Killua before I destroy everything in my way._

“How very altruistic of you.”

“Altruism is not a trait I possess, Father. We both know this.”

Silva paused, staring at Nallui with piercing blue eyes. He did this often, knowing just how similar he and his son looked; how this affected his only daughter’s perception of himself – to her own frustration. It was easy to imagine that Killua would grow to look very similar to Silva, and both individuals in the room knew that’s exactly the kind of weakness Nallui was susceptible to.

“You intend on allowing your brother to escape again, don’t you?”

“If that’s what he wants.”

“Of course,” Silva mused. “Whatever Killua wants.”

Nallui’s eyes tightened at the corners in her restrained anger and Silva knew he’d hit a sore point. Perhaps flaunting her weakness right in front of her face so blatantly was unfair, but playing the game against his cunning daughter, he would take any advantages.

He was a Zoldyck, after all.

“Yes. Whatever he wants,” she said, forcibly calm. “Or _whoever_ he wants,” she couldn’t help but add in, threateningly.

Silva wanted to laugh aloud; whether from genuine amusement or a disbelieving pride at how ruthless his only daughter had turned out to be. _Threatening to kill her father, right to his face all in the guise of following her brother’s orders?_

Silva wanted to compliment her malice; such natural cruelty was best guided with a firm hand but he knew such a thing would not be appreciated. No, his daughter was much more likely to bite the hand that was offered her way. To claw and chew and tear the hand from its victim and gorge on the remains to feed her own bloodlust… _truly a visceral, deadly being I’ve created…_

Like any father, Silva liked to tell himself he harboured no favourites within his children, but the head of a family of assassins could not afford to suffer from denial, and so he could admit, if only to himself, that the two children to have inherited his own head of silver hair, held a special place.

Not necessarily one of sentiment, but certainly favouritism.

As he looked back at Nallui, so tall and artfully beautiful; thick white lashes and striking silver hair that fell like water down her back, Silva could acknowledge his pride in knowing he created such a divine being. If his daughter’s looks were anything to go on, then he had no worries for Killua, too. It was obvious the boy adored his sister and would grow up influenced most by her than any other.

_While veering from my original intentions, allowing them both to remain together can only prove fruitful. With Nallui’s natural inclinations to violence and lack of morality, Killua is bound to fall to the inevitable allure of promised power…_

And who better to dangle that allure right in front of him, than his trusted older sister who he so devotedly adores, who is willing to destroy everything in her path with a single command from his lips?

_That kind of power will be too tempting to pass up…he’ll fall eventually, and when he does, he will truly become a worthy Zoldyck heir._

“Milluki has him in the dungeons,” he finally revealed.

“Understood,” she said before turning to leave. “I’ll be taking him back.”

“Send him my way, first. I wish to speak to him before he leaves, my daughter. Then send him towards the butler’s quarters to wait – I’ve heard his friends are attempting to enter the mountain. I’m curious as to their possible success.”

“Yes,” she nodded succinctly. “I believe they’ll be here soon enough.”

“Oh?” Silva rubbed his chin, leaning back against the comforter he sat upon. “Interesting…then, let us not waste any more time.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave,” she said with a perfectly-executed bow in his direction. Why, if he didn’t know of her true feelings, Silva may have even thought that the girl respected him.

Nevertheless, her lithe form disappeared from behind the heavy, steel door and into the maze of hallways that lead down to the dungeons below, where her sociopathic brother enjoyed torturing helpless victims for his own pleasure.

_It seems I may have to smooth Millu’s ruffled feathers once I release Killu…what to do, what to do…perhaps…?_

With silent steps and invisibility like a cloak shrouding her person, Nallui made her way to the dungeons, eager to see both of her little brothers again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will very likely be smut next chapter, so hopefully, you'll look forward to that!


	14. overwhelming passion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's smut in the second half of this chapter, feel free to skip if you're uncomfortable

Footsteps so light that they barely made noise against the stone flooring carried the ghostly presence through the Zoldyck family mansion’s underground tunnels. Neither the gloomy atmosphere nor the absolute darkness on either end of her journey disturbed the girl, as she walked with silent determination to her destination.

Coming to stop before the black, ornate door she placed a delicate hand upon the steel and pushed it open as though it weighed nothing more than paper. Once inside, she cocked her head at the sight that greeted her.

Killua, who was restrained to the ceiling by metal chains was swinging side to side from a single arm, the other hanging limply by his side in which he had obviously torn straight through the stone. He was staring straight into Milluki’s eyes with an expression of pure insanity. His lips were tugged into a smile; just the tips curving upwards enough to add a sense of morbid amusement to his threatening words.

“Milluki, if you so much as touch them – _I’ll kill you_.”

His words were left hanging and as the dark-haired boy’s anger quickly reached its boiling point, annoyed and frustrated at being threatened by someone so much younger than him – and in such a weak position, too! – It was enough to spike the boy’s blood-pressure and so without thinking about his actions, he lifted the arm which held a single black whip.

Neither boy had noticed the extra presence in the room until a soft voice interrupted them.

“ _Millu_ …I hope you do not intend for that whip to reach its target,” she spoke lowly; a threatening edge to her voice that promised painful retribution.

“Onee-san!” Milluki said in shock at her seemingly sudden arrival. That was before he began sweating, realising the precarious situation he was in at present. He swallowed, trying to think of an excuse that wouldn’t implicate him even further.

The entire family recognised the twins’ deranged possessiveness for Killua and Milluki was adamant on remaining far, _far_ away from their ire. “What are you doing here?” he asked, hiding the whip behind his back.

The girl walked in, allowing the door to fall closed behind her with an echoing ring. Black eyes strayed just long enough from her precious Killu’s form to land upon the first in line to claim the title of her little brother.

“Why do you think? To pick up Killu, of course.”

“Ah…of course,” Milluki stammered, unable to stop himself from fidgeting at the emptiness within her eyes.

Out of all his siblings, it was his sister that scared him the most. Sure, Illumi was terrifyingly adept at saying just the _right_ thing to get Milluki sweating but Nallui…just a single blink in his direction had the boy almost panting in fear. She was an enigma, so similar to those of them that had taken after their mother and yet blessed with the striking-colouring that held pride within their family. For Milluki, his sister was a culmination of the worst traits his family had to offer. To make matters worse, he knew she cared little for him in the grand scheme of things.

“Millu, could you explain why exactly Killu is hanging from the ceiling like a common criminal?” Her words were spoken so softly, whispered like a confession, that it took a moment for the edge of killer-intent to register. When it did, Milluki opened his mouth to explain himself.

“He wanted to slap me around because I stabbed him,” Killua interrupted with a smirk directed towards their brother. “So I let him. I felt bad.”

“ _Li-ar,_ ” Nallui sang softly, a proud smirk dancing across her lips. Those black eyes usually so empty had lit up in amusement.

Killua grinned wolfishly in reply.

 ** _This_**. _This_ was exactly what Milluki had meant.

Their brother had just admitted he’d felt no guilt in stabbing him on his escape – an escape he’d found out his sister had helped! – and now it was _him_ they were laughing at? How could he believe anything else when his sister displayed her favouritism so openly? Milluki’s brow twitched in anger. That frustration that he felt come to him so easily boiled beneath his skin, though, he daren’t do anything about it with her so near.

Nallui was like a shark, able to detect the slightest hint of blood from miles away in order to capitalise on its prey. Milluki had developed the ability to mask his fear with anger. He’d much rather his sister belittle him with insulting remarks about ‘family bonds’ and ‘loving siblings’ than see him as expendable. Milluki had never been cut out for the assassination lifestyle or the pressures that came from being a child of the Zoldycks. However, what he lacked in physical prowess or innate talent, he made up for in a knack for _surviving_.

Milluki had recognised from a young age that those around him were made of sinister material; predators wearing the masks of humans and acting like they wouldn’t abandon one of their own the second it was to their benefit. To be left behind in a family so tough as his was practically handing himself on a platter. Milluki did not want to be left behind. He did not want to die and so, with a steel gritting of his teeth, he tolerated his sister’s blatant favouritism and hypocrisy with narrow eyes – ones he refused to admit burned in envy.

“You can let yourself down now, Killu,” Nallui urged the young boy, her smile showing a little too much teeth. “ _Father_ wishes to speak to you.”

Both brothers shared a look at how acidic her tone had changed when mentioning their father but decided, despite their differences and mutual hatred, to say nothing. Every Zoldyck child learned quickly of the tension between the eldest children and their parents.

They all learned it was best to simply look away.

“Okay,” Killua said with a restrained shrug. He tugged one of his arms until the thick, steel chain snapped away before doing the same with the others holding both of his legs. They broke apart like weak vines and Killua landed on the stone ground with barely a sound, stretching out his sore muscles.

Milluki looked ready to say something but fortunately for him, was interrupted by a perfunctory knock. All three siblings turned to regard the door, hearing the muffled voice from behind. “I’m coming in.”

The door was pushed open with none of the silence Nallui had used and in walked an old man with such strikingly light hair that it left Milluki as the sole odd one out. As usual, the man was wearing his ‘One Kill Per Day’ quota from around his neck.

Zeno regarded his grandchildren with a stern, though not un-kind gaze. “That’s enough, Millu,” he said in a low voice, the kind that demanded to be listened to. It was more than obvious where their father had inherited his commanding tone.

“But, Grandpa!” Milluki complained, feeling a little more confident in voicing his frustrations now that their grandfather was here to temper down his sister’s psychopathy.

“ _Grandfather_ ,” Nallui greeted stiffly, though with less acidity than their father. At least with their grandfather, even the barest hint of respect could be found within her tone.

The man regarded his granddaughter with a shrewd gaze before speaking. “I believe Silva wishes to see Killu.”

“Yes, he told me as I left. I am here to retrieve him.”

Zeno hummed, nodding once. He looked toward Killua, who had by now removed all of the shackles from his limbs and was stood there, watching them both silently. At seeing his look, Nallui’s face warmed from its frigidity and the smile she wore was genuine.

“Why don’t you get the meeting with father over with before Gon arrives, hm? I believe the pretty boy and old man are alongside him,” she mused with a smirk.

Killua chuckled, his eyes brightening at the mention of his new-found friends. “Really?”

“That is if Mike doesn’t get to them first,” she said with a smirk. “Or Canary.”

Killua grinned, wider now than before, an unrestrained mirth. “Ha! Gon will manage it, just you watch!”

She hummed, purposefully not commenting her opinion on the matter. Instead, she pursed her lips. “Go see Father. I will find you before nightfall.”

Killua nodded and began to leave the room with an easy-going gait, confident in his actions until he paused by the door, briefly looking back. He looked between Nallui and Zeno, opening and closing his mouth a few times before quickly disappearing behind the door and out of sight.

“Was there something dire to add?” Zeno spoke blandly.

“I believe Killu wished to ask about my punishment for allowing him to escape,” she mused thoughtfully before a smile curled upon her lips. It looked entirely too pleased. “Caring for his onee-chan’s well-being…Killu, you’re too cute!”

Milluki took an involuntary step back, unnerved as always by the psychopathy the women in his family displayed. Meanwhile, Zeno regarded her expression with interest. He could recognise that the emotion she was displaying was genuine, a brief moment of honesty from his granddaughter who was usually so well-guarded. A girl dept at wearing masks at all times.

_For it all to disappear at the merest instance of genuine affectionate from her brother. Interesting…_

As always, Zeno was attentive in monitoring his grandchildren’s behaviours, ensuring that none of them strayed too far from their origins. It would not do for the Zoldyck name to be soiled by the acts of its youngest generation. Most especially, the eldest of said generation.

Just like his son, Zeno was cautiously intuitive when it came to the twins. Recognising their dangerous and often volatile nature – of little concern to him, though no less a threat in the name of his legacy – Zeno watched the pair like a hawk, intent on catching them out on the slightest misdeed and smothering it before it could ignite into an uncontrollable flame.

While the taboo nature of his two eldest grandchildren’s relationship was an undesirable outcome; one he had thoroughly shamed his son for – _the fool should have recognised the signs of co-dependency at its earliest stages_ – his disappointment had become almost non-existent upon facing the reality of the situation that both twins were all the stronger for it. Not only that but by being able to form genuine emotional connections, even if only with each other, it had spoken for a greater tie to the family at large. Zeno had been hopeful for greater results.

He had been proven correct a decade later when Kikyo had birthed the fourth child to take on the family name and Zeno had witnessed first-hand the sheer love Nallui had displayed for the tiny, infant babe. Zeno had known from that moment that he needn’t worry about either twin any longer. Both were easily controllable now that they had allowed themselves to fall victim to emotional sentiment.

Illumi was infatuated with his twin, intoxicated and obsessive; that was plain to see to both Zeno and Silva. Neither of them worried for rebellion with their eldest prodigy, because so long as Nallui was reigned in, so was he. As for the girl herself…well, it was as easy as keeping Killua tethered to the family. The girl doted upon the boy, and – having opened up her cold heart to someone other than her twin – subsequently the rest of her siblings. So long as they had a firm grasp upon the majority, then both twins were within their sphere of influence, as well as their significant powers and abilities.

Nallui turned to face Zeno, a pleased smile curling her lips. She looked like the cat that had gotten the cream. “If that’s all, grandfather,” she said delighted, looking eager to leave now that there was no reason to remain.

“You may leave, Nallu,” Zeno said with a short nod her way, his eyes briefly flickering towards Milluki.

As if only just remembering his presence, Nallui turned to her other brother and smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile, at least, not to regular people, however his sister was far from normal and so the smile looked entirely too-dangerous. “ _Millu_ , my precious little brother…don’t go hurting your siblings anymore, okay? Otherwise, Onee-san will have to get involved.”

Milluki gulped, recognising the clear underlying threat. “O-okay,” He turned his face away, not wanting to meet her stare dead-on. “ _Whatever_.”

He barely refrained from flinching when her hand settled upon his hair, brushing back loose bangs so that she could look directly into his eyes, the parody of a loving smile upon her face. “ _Good boy_ ,” she praised softly, and Milluki was loath to admit the effect the words had on him. “Onee-san is proud. If you’re good, I’ll get you that limited-edition cyber-doll you wanted, hm?”

Eyes widening slightly, the boy gazed up at his sister, unsure whether to fall for the blatant bribery. _Good boy._ Her words repeated inside his mind and the boy pursed his lips, frustrated at himself. No matter how many times he told himself he didn’t care; that he’d made peace with being the last choice – the forgotten sibling, he seemingly couldn’t escape the deep-seated need to be _seen_.

_Good boy. Onee-san is proud._

“Really?” he muttered, trying to inject some sourness into his tone. He glanced at their grandfather, who was watching their interaction with eagle-eyes.

Nallui hummed, tugging lightly on his hair and scratching his scalp ever-so-slightly with her long nails. It felt good and the affection she was so overtly showing him caused goosebumps to rise on his skin. His hands clenched around the leather whip within his hands, unsure whether he wanted to cave in to her attentions or lash out in confused anger.

“Of course. Onee-san wouldn’t lie to you,” she assured in a soft, lulling hum.

“Y-yeah…” he murmured quietly.

Pulling back rather abruptly and leaving a cold breeze in her absence, Milluki watched as his sister bowed once to their grandfather before disappearing out of the room, silvery-white hair flowing behind her.

Just like that, his sister and her sweet promises left him behind, once again.

. . .

Before she met back up with Killua, Nallui decided to head towards her room and pack herself a bag of necessities. Honestly, she could survive with barely anything – as she had done during the Hunter exam, however, if she was to be looking after her little brother and his friends, then she supposed it would be beneficial to carry supplies.

Slipping inside of her shared room with her twin, which was located on one of the lowest floors of the Zoldyck mansion, guarded by a singular door obstructed by the many shadows that collected within the dreary stone corridor. The door had been shut as always, but Nallui knew even before she entered the room that she was no longer alone.

This was why, when a hand wrapped tightly around her neck she did not panic. She blinked innocently up at the face that loomed above her, a smile curling upon her lips at the familiar, empty gaze. “ _Illu-ni_.”

Illumi said nothing and Nallui pouted at his silence, feeling like she was being punished for something she could not recall. Or more appropriately, something she did not feel warranted such awful treatment from her adoring brother. “Are you mad at me? I thought you had come to terms with my upcoming trip.”

He said nothing and so she pushed a little further, curious as to his appearance so soon after they’d departed. “Has your mission been postponed?” Whilst her question was valid, they both knew she cared little for the details of his work. It was obvious he was here to collect the necessary items for his mission and had decided to wait and ambush her upon arrival. She fluttered her lashes, coy. “Or are you here just to see me?”

“Get down,” was all he said in reply, his voice completely monotone and lacking any of the bite she usually witnessed when he was annoyed at her actions. Nallui cocked her head to the side, as much as possible with his hand still gripping her throat tightly. “Down where, Illu-ni?”

“On your knees.”

A mischievous brightness entered her eyes at his rough tone and she unconsciously darted out a pink tongue to wet her lips. She suddenly felt parched, like Illumi was the only one able to quench her sudden thirst. _Her voracious urges_. Biting her lips and fluttering her lashes up at him, she spoke softly, sensuously. “You’ll have to let go of my neck if you want me on my knees, _Onii-chan_.”

Nallui had been allowing his tight grip to hold up her entire weight, enjoying the way it slowly cut off her breathing – hoping it would leave behind a lovely purple remembrance of his touch – and so, when he let go of her she allowed her body to succumb to gravity, falling to the floor.

On her knees and looking up at her brother through thick white lashes, Nallui pouted. Her fingers ran delicate circles around the hem of his trousers, eager to tug them down and allow her to have her fun. She thought about the firm body hidden beneath and it only made her more eager to rip them off completely. Nallui thought it was such a pity that he even covered himself to begin with. Why must she be deprived of such a sight?

Her fingers curled into the hem and slowly pulled, her smile turning devilish as he was bared before her. She took a moment to simply admire the sight; allow the deep sense of longing and adoration she held for him to take over completely, to lull her into a more submissive, complacent mindset.

This was her brother, her precious _Illu-ni_ and she knew, with all her heart and soul that she could let go and put her trust in him.

One hand sank into her hair, not tugging but merely cupping the back of her head whilst the other held her cheek, bringing her gaze up to meet his. Nallui smiled coyly, turning her face to press a brief kiss to the palm cupping her face. “Impatient, Illu-ni?” she murmured, moving to press another kiss to his cock. She took him in her hand and marvelled at their difference.

Her hands – so slim and bone-white – contrasted heavily against the thick, swollen member that was almost red with flushed excitement at her touch. “You know you can use me however you want. I bet you’re upset I’m leaving with Killu, aren’t you? Why not take that anger out on me, hm? Use me to your heart's content.”

Illumi’s grip in her hair tightened and she hissed in pleasure at the sting. He remained silent, though, which she could not allow. Slowly, she continued to run her hands up and down his cock, watching in satisfaction as her thumb ran along the slit, gathering the precum that threatened to spill. She popped her thumb into her mouth and closed her eyes with a low hum.

“Let me make it up to you, Illu-ni. I’ll give you all of me. Does that sound good? You can take everything you want, even if I say no.” She pressed her face closer to his stomach, pressing a kiss to the toned abs and smiling up at him with shining, dark eyes. “Take what you want with force like the true Zoldyck heir, hm?”

That seemed to set him off.

Nallui had only a second’s notice of Illumi’s intentions – recognising the way his already inky-black eyes became even darker in lust, at how her whispered words caused his stomach to clench and his cock to twitch within her hands. Her hair was yanked back and with only a moment to catch her breath, she was forced to take him entirely, lips stretched wide as she accommodated him without struggle.

Eyelashes fluttering in content, she hummed loudly, knowing the effect it would have on him. She opened her eyes to look up at Illumi; identical eyes staring down at her with an emotion similar to rapture. Ahh…how Nallui loved that look on her brother’s face, one filled with such unbridled devotion; of love and acceptance and euphoric pleasure – and it was all directed at _her_.

Swallowing harshly and enjoying the stutter of breath he let out from parted lips, Nallui allowed herself to be man-handled around. She didn’t worry, having long outgrown any kind of gag-reflex she needn’t concern herself with how rough her brother was being with her. Nallui allowed Illumi to tangle those long fingers within her hair, holding her in place whilst he took his pleasure from her without sympathy. The thought of him using her so thoroughly – of simply _taking_ what he wanted from his adoring sister – caused her stomach to clench and her thighs to unconsciously twitch. She could feel that familiar heat building within her stomach, the wetness between her legs desperate for any kind of touch.

All too suddenly she was released from his hold and blinking a couple of times, Nallui looked up at her brother with parted lips; saliva dribbling from the corners of her lips and her cheeks flushed pink. Her eyes were glassy and gave even more credence to her doll-like appearance. “Illu-ni?”

“I want to finish inside you,” was all he said before those deceptively lean arms picked her up in one fell swoop. He tugged the intricately wrapped kimono from around her waist like it was nothing but paper, letting it fall to the floor carelessly. “You will let me,” he commanded rather than asked, but he needn’t bothered for Nallui was already nodding her head eagerly, barely refraining from begging to feel him inside of her.

Without any kind of preparation or warning, Illumi pushed himself inside, setting up a relentless pace. Her back was pushed up against the cold stone wall and the rough surface caused the bandages wrapped around her chest to tear and fall away. Illumi descended upon her bare chest like a predator on prey and his sharp teeth bit into her without mercy. She squealed and bit her lips until she tasted blood, her hands coming to clutch onto his neck to pull him closer, craving more of him. He couldn’t ever be close enough; she wanted him to consume her completely, to bite and bite until there was nothing left.

She wanted him to eat her alive, to bite and tear and _take, take,_ **_take_** until she was nothing but a crying, helpless mess – solely reliant on her brother’s touch.

He continued to pound relentlessly, harsh breaths fanning against her neck as he moved his attention to the unblemished, porcelain skin. The delicate flesh stood no chance against his fervent bites and so she wasn’t surprised to feel blood dripping down to pool within the jut of her collarbones, where it then stained Illumi’s white skin as she pulled him even closer.

Her hands felt useless as she tried to grab onto anything that could steady her, her body rhythmically hitting the harsh stone wall with every powerful thrust. She could feel the skin of her back open up from the rough treatment but the pain barely registered from her damaged nerves and instead, all she could feel was Illumi. Illu-ni inside of her and holding her tightly. His face pressed against her neck and his scent all around her.

 _Illu-ni, Illu-ni, Illu-ni…_ she chanted it both within her mind and out loud between pleasure-filled cries.

His motions became even more erratic – a sense of animalistic drive overtaking his body as he panted harshly in her ear, whispering her name with adoration – like a prayer that she was able to make him feel so good.

“Nallu, _Nallu_ …”

Meanwhile, Nallui felt her hands grab the air above his head uselessly, unknowingly reaching for a pair of imaginary horns – for surely if he saw her as an angel right now, answering his prayers then she could only liken him to a demon. It was the only explanation for how he managed to make her feel so good; so _euphoric_. She must have made a deal with the devil, exchanging her sanity and body in exchange for such undulating pleasure.

Nallui could feel her heart beating frantically within her chest, could feel her blood thrumming beneath her skin, and Illumi’s heart complemented it, both of them beating perfectly in-synch. The combined sound was almost deafening as she felt a familiar tightening in her gut and as Illumi’s arms wrapped around her waist in order to crush her to his chest, she was sure that she would melt right into his heat. To finally become one with him.

“Illu-ni, please, come inside me. Give me my family, Illu-ni. _Please_.”

“Nallu – _tell me_.” His words were seemingly vague but she knew just what he wanted her to say. Normally she would tease him for such a request but her craving for him was overpowering and so she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his ear, whispering the words she felt from the deepest part of her heart.

“You’re the only one for me. I love you.” She cried at his hold, feeling like she was coming apart in his crushing hold, like there was no escaping his possessive embrace. Her sight was dotting, vision becoming black at the edges. She screwed her eyes shut, watching as red danced behind her eyelids.

“I belong to you, and _only you_.”

“ _Only me_. You’re _mine_ ,” he hissed with a punishing thrust. “You can’t ever escape me. _Never_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the mini-hiatus. Real-life is hard, as always. Appreciate the love this has been getting :)


	15. the final brother appears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello! this is a tiny update only because I'm jam-packed with work over the holidays but I suddenly had a rush of Kalluto inspiration and wrote this. Hope it tides you over - after this its the Heavens Arena arc~

When Nallui woke up – opening her eyes slowly, white lashes fluttering against her cheeks – she already knew her brother was gone. Their bed was cold on his side, sheets smoothed down perfectly, as though nobody was ever there, to begin with.

“Father sure works fast,” she muttered, understanding that her twin’s absence was due to their father’s influence. The man seemed to know everything that went on within his home and was clearly angry that they’d dared flaunt their taboo relationship within his walls. She huffed a breath of laughter, stretching out her body to fix the kinks.

Her bones shifted in a satisfying _pop_ and her muscles ached in the most pleasurable way. Throwing the cover off of her body, dark eyes narrowed in amusement at the litany of bruises and bite marks that covered her body. It looked like she’d been mauled by an animal – a possessive beast staking claim on its mate.

Running a finger across one of the darkest bruises upon her upper-thigh, she hummed at the pleasant numb feeling. Of course, she could hardly feel any of the marks – but just the knowledge that it was her darling _Illu-nii_ who gave them to her, the thought that he was so distraught at their brief separation that he felt the need to boldly mark her as his sent a shiver down her spine. She wanted him to take her again – to cover even the tiniest spaces of skin available with even darker bruises, so that nowhere on her body could she forget her brother’s claim.

She sighed and glanced around the empty room only to pause at the sight of clothing hanging outside of the closet by a hanger, as well as a small bag. She got out of bed, allowing the sheet to simply drop from her body, uncaring of being so exposed when nobody was around. The chill of night caused goosebumps to run across her skin, though Nallui was too focused on the new accessories of their blank, impersonal room to notice.

Fingering the material, she recognised the sheer softness; a delicate silk cheongsam painted in a blue so pale it almost rivalled the moonlight; adorned upon the hems were white clouds. Cut off above the knee it was a beautiful yet practical piece of fashion. The bag – which was more of a large purse – was made from the same material and looking inside she saw a collection of essentials for her upcoming journey.

Her lips curled up in the corner at the thoughtful gesture. _My darling Illu-nii, such a heart of gold beneath that unmoveable mask you adorn for the world._

Nallui slipped inside the cheongsam, brushing down the non-existent wrinkles and picking up the purse, clipping it around her waist by the small silver chain. She ran her fingers through her hair, attempting to free the kinks and tangles from her night of passion. Slipping her feet into a pair of white, thin slip-ons. Taking a last look around the room, she stepped out into the cold hallway which was shadowed in complete darkness.

Cocking her head to the side and allowing some of her aura to release like tendrils from within her, she waited patiently for the one person she knew would be eagerly awaiting her call. The only sign of their arrival was the slightest shift in the atmosphere, and the girl smiled, red lips curving into a plush smile. “Onee-san.”

Her name rang throughout the hallway, the voice echoing off of the stone walls; an airy voice that belied the rather feminine appearance if only because of the low, raspy undertone.

“Kallu-chan,” she replied, her tone endearingly soft. “I’m pleased to see you.”

“You as well, Onee-san. I believed you would leave once Killua had left for the butler’s residence.” Kalluto had stepped forward from the obscurity of the shadows, his face the usual placid blankness, hair perfectly styled into its severe cut and his outfit a recognisable floral kimono. It was recognisable for the simple fact that it had once belonged to Nallui herself. Her smile was just the slightest more genuine at the sight.

“And miss out on seeing my precious little brother?” she asked. “I would not dare.”

“…I have no further news to inform you of.” Kalluto’s words were toneless and straight to the point. “Other than attempting to secure Killua at home, mother and father have been quiet.” He seemed ready for her to leave now, and so she stepped closer so that her figure loomed above his, looking down at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

A single hand touched the ends of his dark hair, running her fingertip across the blunt edges of the harsh cut, the silky strands falling back into uniform one strand after the other. “You’re such a good boy, Kallu-chan. Onee-san is very proud of you. My talented little spy, I hope you continue doing such a wonderful job.”

Kalluto’s lashes fluttered at her touch and he looked up at her with those deep-violet eyes. “…what’s in it for me?” he asked lowly and Nallui felt her lips stretch into a wide, maniacal smile.

 _Oh? Is the little bird learning to spread its wings? Adapting to the harsh environment and studying those larger predators around it…_ Nallui’s eyes narrowed; inky black meeting amethyst. _How fascinating._

Cupping that small, delicate chin within her hand, Nallui smiled wide enough to display her teeth; unhinged as it was and bordering on deranged. “Kallu-chan,” she breathed heavily. “You continue to surprise me, such sharp claws you have…such biting words…I always knew you had it in you to impress me so.” Her thumb smoothed his porcelain skin, slowly. “How should Onee-san treat you? What is it you want, little brother?”

Kalluto showed no sign of discomfort at her words like many of her other family members might – it was something that endeared the boy to her, for he reminded her so much of Illumi when they were children – and stared back at her resolutely.

“I want something you treasure,” he said. His voice didn’t waver – it was firm and confident. Clearly, the boy had given this some prior thought.

 _How devious of him, to have such a request waiting to spring upon her. Perhaps, he had taken more after her than she’d initially believed._ His sense of fashion…his interest in gymnastic combats…even down to his ways of speaking; of seeing everybody around him as replaceable pawns. _Have I created a little monster in the shadows? Oh my, how interesting…_

Nallui leant back and pulled up her cheongsam a rather indecent amount to reveal the straps tied around her thighs. Tucked snug inside the straps were multiple weapons; miniature darts, pointed daggers and slim knives; all were there for her immediate use. She picked out a particular pair of daggers, ones that glinted in the minimal lighting above them; the crystalized hilts sparkling. The blades themselves were almost transparent; a specialised form of glass that didn’t break under the intense pressure of combat and cut through even the toughest of enemies like warm butter. Truly, they were a pair of wonder – and Nallui could think of nothing more fitting to offer his little brother who had shown such devoted loyalty.

In fact, she even allowed some more of her aura to release, the dark tendrils flowing down her arms and embedding itself into the daggers, melting into the fine glass as though shadow absorbed by the light. This would allow him to call upon her, should he ever truly need her. When she handed them to him, placing them within his hands so that he could get a feel for the weight and balance, she smiled at his startled expression; the first slip of his perfect mask.

“Onee-san…what is this?”

“Did you not ask for something I treasured?” she asked in amusement. “I believe you know exactly what these are. I believe they should be sufficient enough.”

“I can’t take these,” Kalluto immediately replied, pushing them back into her chest. “They are gifts from Aniki. I do not deserve them.”

Nallui wrapped her hands around his own, long, pointed nails scratching the softness at the back of his hands softly, like a touch of frost. “I shall decide who is worthy of what, Kallu-chan. Do not fret what your big brother will think. He is not somebody to fear, my darling. He cares for our family as much as I do, you know this. If he should ask, just tell him your Onee-san entrusted them to you. That she believes you are worthy of wielding them.”

Kalluto blinked fast, his mind whirling at an impressive speed in order to catalogue the implications behind her words. Finally, his face settled back into its solemn expression; the one that belied his youth and carved his features into a mature elegance. “I understand. I will work harder to deserve your favour, Onee-san.” He bowed shallowly, eyes closed and face turned to the floor in a sign of respect.

Nallui placed a finger beneath his chin to raise his face so that when his eyes opened, he was staring straight into her own. Kalluto blinked languidly at the endless void of darkness that he was witness to in his sister’s eyes and stayed silent, allowing her gaze to consume him wholly.

“You already supersede my expectations, Kallu-chan – in my eyes, you have achieved far beyond what I had hoped.” She could see the way his eyes dilated at her words and smiled gently; her face softening into an assuaging beauty; a motherly comfort. “It won’t be long until we can live in our harmonious family, my darling. A family where all are equal; for Illu-nii and I would never value one life over the other. You are all precious to us both.”

Kalluto’s lips parted and the softest breath fanned across her lips, their faces were so close. “Speak, little brother. Tell me what you’re thinking. Do not keep what ails you secret from me.”

“…I wish you were my mother,” he revealed finally, and the girl felt her smile widen to unmounted proportions, her eyes blazing in a barely-visible crazed light. She pushed back his fringe – so low as to hide searching eyes from sight of those he was spying on – and pressed a lingering kiss upon the smooth, unblemished skin.

“If you wish it so, then we can make it true.” She then tucked the thick dark hair behind a small ear and whispered low enough that it was almost as though she were breathing the following words into existence through pure will alone.

“We are _Zoldycks_ , darling. Whatever it is we yearn for, is ours for the taking.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only just realised that I've been using 'Illu-ni' instead of what I think would be more correct, 'Illu-nii' so please, just pretend I've been using the latter all this time.../(o-o)\


	16. welcome to heavens arena

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update so soon! This is because I'll be busy until mid-January and so I didn't want to leave without at least advancing the plot a little. Next is the Heavens Arena arc, where more of Nallui's abilities will be revealed, as well as a fight I have planned between her and Hisoka!
> 
> Happy Christmas to you all x

Nallui had left her home as quickly as possible, travelling down the unused hallways as to avoid bumping into rather… _unsavoury_ members of her family. Namely, her mother. Nallui understood her shortcomings; the borderline insanity…the possessiveness and the blatant lack of regard for those around her. However, as much as she preferred to banish the thought from her mind, she was a product of both Silva and Kikyo, and obsession ran heavy within her blood.

Unconsciously, her feet sped up – though she was loath to admit it, she was rather eager to bypass the woman and her hysterics for today. _And forever, if I can help it_.

Her precious Kalluto had warned her of the woman’s incoherent ramblings as of late and her excessive need for total control; domination over the inner-workings of her family.

The night was dark; the sky a blanket of indigo with not a cloud or star in sight. Her form slipped through the shadows, visible only by the unnatural paleness of her hair; moonlight dazzling against her skin.

Her eyes, which scoured the grounds for movement, were practically invisible against the dark night. When she arrived at the butler’s quarters, her hand rose to knock against the door but she paused halfway through when it was yanked open rather forcefully – revealing a band of familiar faces.

“Onee-chan?” Killua’s voice was high-pitched, as though surprised to see her. Gon, beside him, was all smiles; wide-eyed and bright in mood despite his roughed-up appearance.

Nallui lowered herself so that she was face to face with both boys, a strand of her hair falling past her shoulders to frame her face, the stark white contrasting onyx eyes. “What happened to you, Gon-kun? Have you been so eager to fight, already?”

“Nuh-uh!” he harrumphed, hands on his hips. “I was finding Killua, just like I said I would!”

“ _Baka_ ,” Killua droned. “It took you long enough.”

Nallui chuckled, ruffling both of their hair and smiling at her brother’s affronted huff. Gon, however, seemed to be basking in the attention. “What do you have on your agenda next? Surely you have room for your big sister, hm?”

Killua averted his eyes. “Sure, whatever.” While his words were blunt he couldn’t disguise the pink dusting across his cheeks. Gon laughed and poked the boy in the cheek, teasing him for his reaction. Killua retaliated, which caused them both to descend into a playful fight.

Watching on with an amused smirk, the girl looked across to Kurapika and Leorio, who did the same, looking at the boys with evident fondness in their eyes. “Good to see you again, pretty boy, old man.”

“Old man!?” Leorio stuttered in outrage. “How many times do I have to tell you? Besides, you even said it yourself! You’re _older_ than me!”

Nallui winked, a cheeky smile on her face. “I certainly don’t look it.”

Kurapika laughed, pushing back Leorio who looked ready to fight the girl and her smart-ass comments.

“It’s good to see you too, Nallui,” the blonde turned an honest smile her way, and the tiniest part of Nallui could admit that, was she an honest person, she may just be affected by his charms. “Will you be joining us on our journey?” he asked.

Cocking her head, she regarded him, gauging any ulterior motives behind his seemingly innocent question. “Killu has no objections,” was all she said, and the blonde seemed to understand the weight behind those words.

Smile widening just a touch further, Kurapika looked happy to hear she would be joining them. In fact, even Leorio had stopped in his fake outrage to look towards her with a mature air – mentally, she snorted at this, thinking back to his previous words and how easily he was annoyed whenever his age was mentioned. _If he continued acting so maturely, he couldn’t blame people for thinking he was much older. (He made her seem a child in comparison.)_

“Killu, Gon-kun!” she called and the two boys paused in their fight; Killua’s arms wrapped around the other's neck while Gon’s tongue stuck out from his mouth comically.

“If you wish to leave before Mother arrives to stop you, then I suggest you do so soon.” She narrowed her eyes, gazing at the sight of their house, shrouded in darkness; a black silhouette against the moonlight. “I do not believe they will fall for my diversion a second time.”

Killua’s expression fell momentarily, his mind flashing to the remembrance of the harsh punishment his sister had received upon aiding his escape. His hands clenched into fists, while he willed himself not to let his anger overpower him. Gon stood beside him, blinking innocently.

Clapping her hands together, gaining all of their attention, Nallui cocked her head and smiled brightly, sharp teeth on full display. “Shall we go, then? I believe the last train leaves at midnight.”

And so they did. The group, now consisting of the two Zoldycks, Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, all adorned with their own separate bags ready for their adventure ahead, began walking towards the train line, scaling the vast land of Kukuroo Mountain as the bus no longer ran this late at night.

The single girl of their group had paused momentarily as they reached the gates of Hades, glancing back toward the looming figure of the mansion, her mind flashing with the image of an innocent face, sparkling blue eyes looking at her with adoration. Nallui’s jaw clenched, her eyes narrowing. 

_Onee-san won’t be gone for long, Allu-chan. Someday soon, I’ll return to rescue you._

. . .

The sequential sound of the train moving across the tracks was hypnotic, and after hours under its spell, the rag-tag band arrived at their destination, just as the midday sun shone down upon them. Gon was adamant – she’d learnt that he was deadly stubborn when he wished to be – that he didn’t want to use his Hunter licence until he settled his debt to Hisoka, and so they were travelling somewhere to spend in the meantime. Someplace where he could hopefully improve his skills.

At the mention of the magician, Nallui had turned her attention from the passing scenery to listen to their conversation. Though, she soon learned that half of their group were breaking off in their own directions, intending on meeting up once again on September first. Kurapika had reluctantly revealed his intentions on scouting out the infamous _Phantom Troupe_ , having been given a wry hint by the magician of their whereabouts. As he spoke, Nallui felt a tendril of intrigue coil inside her.

 _The Phantom Troupe, huh? I’ll have to keep an eye on this infamous group for my own entertainment…_ Her eyes lit up with a truly wonderful idea. _Perhaps I could send Kallu-chan their way, my little spy spreading its wings for real and experiencing the real world…_

Leorio, too, had a mission of his own – wishing to return home so that he could be accepted into medical school; the vast expense of which could be paid off now with his Hunter’s licence.

That left only the two siblings and Gon, who waved off their two companions as they disappeared into the throng of bustling people, all crowded in the busy town centre. “I guess it's just the three of us now,” said Gon, no sign of discontent or worry evident in his tone. “What should we do now?”

“Huh? Do you even have to ask?” Killua said in a haughty tone, which caused Nallui to smile. She jumped up to sit on the back of the park bench, swinging her bare legs back and forth as she listened to her brother and Gon speak – arguing what was best to do during the time up until September first.

Meanwhile, she passed the time by gazing around her, looking at the array of people occupying the space in town, especially the families. Her eyes zeroed in on a particular group; two women who were clearly together were watching over their children as they ate, stuffing their faces while the happy couple watched on in contentment. Once again, she felt that ugly sensation churning within her stomach, the envy like boiling lava; festering and acidic inside her.

 _Illu-nii promised me the perfect family...that our lives would finally begin once we were able to free ourselves from this torment._ Tunnel-vision only allowed her to focus on that singular, powerful desire; the compulsive need to remind herself that someday, that could be her. _Someday, I’ll have my family, too._

“Onee-chan?” “Nallui!”

Dual calls of her name snapped her from the spiralling trance and she slowly dragged her sight from the harmonious family towards Killua and Gon, who stared up at her, wondering why she hadn’t responded to their initial call. Instinctually a smile curled upon her lips and the words tumbled from her mouth easily.

“Was Onee-chan ignoring you? I’m so sorry, Killu, Gon-kun. Nallu-nee will make it up to you, what is it you want?” she even pinched their cheeks for good measure, and quick as lightning, the two boys forgot all about her momentary lapse.

Killua pointed towards a large, looming building down the street. “We’re staying there where we can train and get stronger. Gon’s gonna need it if he wants to ever stand a chance of defeating Hisoka.”

“Defeating Hisoka, hm?” Nallui stepped closer to the dark-haired boy, squishing his cheeks together and staring right into his eyes. “What I wouldn’t pay to see _that_ ,” she purred.

“Forget that!” Killua snapped, tugging on her arm so that she released Gon. He huffed, turning his face away and stubbornly crossing his arms. “He won’t be any closer to his strength in ten years, let alone six months! But we can try.”

Nallui laughed, grinning down at her little brother. “Killu, you’re so sweet, looking out for your friend’s best interests. In fact, it’s making your onee-chan a little jealous. Won’t you look out for _my_ best interests, too?”

“Shut up!” Killua shouted, cheeks aflame. “You’re the older sibling, so obviously that’s _your_ job!”

“Hm? You mean you’re relying on me to look out for you both?” she asked deviously. “To care for you and make sure you come to no harm? You’re relinquishing your control to _me_?”

“I-I mean, _no_ – I,” Killua tried to backtrack, recognising the glint in his sister’s eyes which meant no good. But it was too late, as she had already succumbed to her delusions.

Grabbing hold of both of their hands and dragging them along behind her – the both of them struggling to keep pace with her long strides – she smiled widely as she led them towards the Heaven’s Arena building, clouded in a deceptive air of tranquillity and serenity.

“ _What_ – why are you dragging us!?” Killua squawked, meanwhile Gon hummed happily, even swinging his and Nallui’s conjoined hand between them.

“I am taking you to Heavens Arena, of course! You do want to train, don’t you? And if I’m to act as your guardian for this trip, then I have to have your best interests in mind!” she said matter-of-factly, as though it was perfectly obvious.

They got some questionable looks from those around them at their way of walking, though most simply chalked it up to an overly-happy family. As they walked inside the lobby of the tower, they saw that luckily, it was mostly empty. Directing the two boys to sit on the waiting chairs, the girl walked up to the counter, meeting the polite gaze of the receptionist.

Ramping up the charm, Nallui gave the other woman a dazzling smile. “Good morning.”

The brunette was momentarily taken aback by the sight before her – after all, it wasn’t every day that you came across someone of such unique colouring and beauty – but soon came to her senses and smiled warmly.

“Welcome to Heavens Arena! If you wish to compete in tournaments, or subsequently stay within our facilities, please fill out this form.” She handed an empty sign-up sheet across the counter, which Nallui barely glanced at. “May I ask, have you participated previously?”

“A long time ago,” Nallui said good-naturedly, expanding when the woman seemed to want more information. “It’s a family tradition. Supposed to expand our young minds, I suppose,” she joked and the woman laughed along with her, not understanding the disturbing implications behind her words.

The less she knew about Silva’s questionable teaching methods of his children, the better.

“Very well, that makes things much easier – and quicker!” They both shared a laugh. “Simply fill out this form with all the necessary details and deposit it within any one of the machines around the first floor,” she said, though commented that Nallui must already know all of this – ensuring her it was protocol to repeat it, nonetheless.

Briefly, the receptionist looked past Nallui at Killua and Gon, noticing them as the children she had entered with; her face softening as her mind supplied her with a vastly untrue hypothesis of their situation.

“Should you ascend to a higher level quickly enough, you will be afforded a room catered towards both you and your children,” she ensured, her voice pitched lower as though trying to keep her words private.

Nallui blinked in confusion, which lasted for barely a couple of seconds until her heart sped up sporadically; her smile curling at the edges, barely stopping from edging on psychotic by sheer will alone. When she spoke, her voice was inflected with a motherly concern and female gratitude towards the other.

“Thank you so much. It’s _so_ difficult being a mother of two at such a young age, you know? Though, I wouldn’t trade it for the entire world.” She sighed, briefly looking back to see her brother and Gon pulling faces at one another to tide their impatience. “I would do _anything_ for my family.”

“That’s a wonderfully brave ambition to have. I commend you, miss,” the receptionist said with wide, innocent eyes. “If there is anything I can do for you, please just ask.”

Nallui saw such undisguised innocence in her eyes that she naturally wanted to reach out and avert them; to change their direction into more…sinful alleys.

_To crush such doeful innocent to the malevolence of the world, to encourage the deviations she knew every human hid behind their morality…_

Though with a heavy-lidded blink, the desire was stopped instantly, and Nallui returned to smiling perfectly white teeth at the woman, as though nothing had happened.

“In fact, there is something you could help me with,” she began, sliding her hand across the table just enough that porcelain fingers touched the sides of her hands, sending a spark of electricity down the other woman’s spine. “I was hoping you could search your records for my previous wins. Perhaps, my scores would be enough to secure us accommodation for the night…” she bit her lip, averting her eyes as though abashed. “You see, I’m all alone and could never subject my two precious boys to the perils of the streets!”

The woman was suitably distressed and with an emphatic nod of her head, she asked for her name.

“Zurui,” Nallui whispered, still retaining her hopeful expression, squeezing the woman’s hand for good measure.

The receptionist reluctantly pulled her hands away to type quickly against the keyboard, searching for Nallui’s past fights. What she saw there caused her eyes to widen, glancing at her before back at the screen. Taking a steadying breath, the woman smiled shakily before speaking.

“After seeing your past records, I am confident that you… _qualify_ for accommodation. This is only available for one night, and I’m afraid you will have to compete tomorrow and win in order to keep these arrangements.” She took another glance at the computer screen before quirking a disbelieving smile. “Though, by looking at your past scores, I am sure you’ll do just fine.”

Nallui laughed, waving her hand as though abashed by her compliments. Thanking the woman once again, allowing her parting to smile to be just a touch too blinding, Nallui walked away with three blank forms and the pass to their all-inclusive room in her hands.

And back to her supposed ‘family’ – a thought that caused her smile to return.

. . .

The boys were predictably thrilled at the news – Killua knew how hard it was to score accommodation when you first arrived and had smirked smugly when she’d told him that her previous records had been sufficient enough to bend the rules.

“Thanks, Nallu-nee!” Gon had said flippantly, which caused Killua to yank his head back in mild jealously, shouting that the boy couldn’t just call her such an intimate title without her permission! Besides, even he didn’t abbreviate her name like that!

“Eeeehhh?” Gon whined, looking between his friend and Nallui with wide, golden eyes. “But its fine isn’t it, Nallu-nee?”

Nallui chuckled, ruffling his hair. “So long as you’re important to Killu, then you are to me, too,” was her simple reply, which Gon took as permission to continue calling her so familiarly.

Killua pouted but soon forgot all about it when his sister unlocked their room door and they were greeted with the exquisite, expensive-looking décor – the beds all a rich rouge and a panoramic shot of the city below from the window that spanned an entire wall. Gon was almost jumping in joy, running and diving onto the bed with a grin.

“Look, Killua! There’s so much room! This is much better than sleeping in the forest, or even in the aircraft during the Hunters exam!”

“Obviously, _baka_. Onee-chan is strong enough to get us this much, at least. I’m surprised they didn’t give her more, honestly.”

“I’ll be fighting in the morning,” she said, unclipping her purse from her waist and sitting on the spare bed, running her fingers along the soft silk. “I predict we will be upgraded after I win.”

. . .

A couple of hours passed by as they got comfortable in their room, the boys wasting away the hours watching television and ordering every item available on the menu – Nallui ensuring them that while the room and service were all complimentary, she had more than enough money to compensate anything they may order that wasn’t included.

Before they knew it, they’d wasted away an entire afternoon and, now dark outside and only the city lights below to keep them company, Gon rolled over on his bed to stare at Nallui. His expression was earnest; golden eyes lit up in fascination.

“Do you know any stories, Nallu-nee?” Gon asked in innocent curiosity.

Nallui pondered his question for a moment – having been looking down at the city, mind adrift with thoughts of her darling Illu-nii and what he might be doing – before a smile curled her lips.

“I remember a particular one that I loved as a child, though I’m afraid it may not be that entertaining to you both.”

Killua shrugged his shoulders, unbothered either way while Gon smiled wide, shuffling to get comfier in his position on the bed. “Then tell us that one!” he practically yelled.

“If you insist,” she murmured and collected her thoughts, recalling the story she remembered reading all those years ago. One that had riveted her since she’d first laid eyes upon it and remained a favourite to this day.

“ _Up within the skies, many millennia ago, the Gods - those both feared and revered in equal measure - lived their immortal lives upon Olympus_ ,” she began her story, instantly capturing both boys’ attention with the fantastical opening.

She painted the picture of looming stone and omnipresent figures; deities who all represented elements and patronages alike. Who were responsible for both the sky and sea, love and war, sun and moon - and many more.

Killua and Gon’s eyes were wide in awe, their young minds easily conjuring up the picture presented with her lavish descriptions.

“ _Demeter, sister to Zeus, King of the Gods and Ruler of the Sky, doted upon her daughter, whom she had conceived with that same brother. A daughter who was as lovely as she was pure; a golden beauty that resided within fields of flowers and bloom that only heightened her beauty_.”

“What was the daughter god of?” Gon asked, intrigued.

“She’d be a goddess, _baka_ ,” Killua drawled.

Gon scratched his head sheepishly while Nallui smiled at her brother, ruffling his hair for good measure. Killua let out an indignant squawk, as he always did when flustered by her attentions but he did not move away.

"Yes, she was _Persephone;_ goddess of the harvest, celebrated much like her mother and loved by all. She had many suitors, all who were shot down by her mother who obsessively wished to keep her daughter to herself."

Both Zoldycks shared a glance at her description of Demeter, realising it hit very close to home with a certain doting mother they knew all too well.

" _One of those suitors, the most persistent of all was Demeter's brother, Hades; King of the Underworld. Of course, despite asking most ardently for the girl's hand in marriage, Demeter refused once again, both angering and saddening her brother, who slinked his way back to the pits of the Underworld_."

" _Hold up_ – So Persephone's parents were siblings and her uncle asked for her hand in marriage?" Killua asked with a pinched expression.

Nallui turned to him with a nonplussed expression, nodding her head. "Yes. Do keep up, Killu."

"I am! I'm just pointing out how confusing it is!" he insisted hotly.

Gon's tongue poked out of his mouth as he concentrated on remembering all of the weird-sounding names and relationships. It was all very confusing but he was too caught up in the story to care!

"As I was saying," Nallui continued.

" _Hades, who refused to accept his sister's rejection, instead waited until she was called away as the Gods of Olympus gathered together. Persephone, none the wiser to the eyes seeking her attentions was surprised when from out of the lush green meadow she resided, a large black chariot broke through, galloping towards her at full speed. Before even the Nymphs tasked with guarding her could react, Persephone had been snatched away and followed as the death chariot descended once again below ground, leaving no sign of the young goddess in sight_."

At this point, Gon had foregone the blankets and was leant forward so that he was gripping his knees and leaning forward eagerly as Nallui spoke. Killua was less obvious, though his eyes sparkled in intrigue at her tale.

"What happened to her? Did _Hay-dees_ want to kill her for rejecting him?" Gon almost shouted.

" _Hades_ ," she corrected his pronunciation, but laughed nonetheless, surprised the two boys had become so invested in her story.

Nallui had never thought to tell such stories to her brother as a child, thinking he would find them troublesome, or pointless. Maybe she had been wrong. This was something she would have to correct in the future. Perhaps her other siblings would enjoy such things? _Especially little Allu…_

"He probably kidnapped her," Killua mused, his smile turned smug. "What better way to get what you want than take it yourself?"

Nallui giggled, clapping her hands. "Correct! – _Hades, infatuated so by her innocence and beauty and unwilling to give up on their love, had resorted to taking her for himself_."

"But couldn't she just escape?" Gon asked.

"No way, Hades sounds _way_ more powerful," Killua argued.

"Ah – see, Hades had a plan in mind for this matter, too," Nallui said with an impish grin.

" _For anyone who eats the food of the Underworld was cursed to remain there for eternity. Hades tricked the innocent Persephone into eating but a few seeds of a pomegranate, binding her to himself in the process_."

"And what about her mother? Wouldn't she miss her? That sounds very sad..." Gon frowned at the thought. Nallui leant forward to ruffle his spiky hair, earning a smile from the boy.

" _See, Zeus came to an agreement that would satisfy both of his siblings. Persephone would remain the goddess of the Underworld and wife to Hades, remaining with him for six months, while spending the other six months above ground with her mother. This is how we now understand the seasons, as when Persephone and Demeter are reunited, we are blessed with spring and summer, while when apart, Autumn and Winter descend_."

" _Woah_..." Gon's face was awestruck, shocked at the seeming connection between the tale and their real world. "Is that true?" he asked innocently.

"Of course not, baka. Nee-chan said it herself, it's a story," Killua refuted.

Nallui tapped a finger to her chin, her expression dreamy. "I wish it were real~ Persephone is _so-o-o_ lucky."

Killua looked very disturbed by her words, though not overly surprised. Gon quirked a brow but was no longer alarmed by anything regarding the Zoldyck siblings anymore.

"Why am I not surprised..." Killua muttered, pointedly not thinking about his sister and brother and their _particular relationship_. It still left a sour taste in his mouth, for reasons he didn’t wish to delve too deep into.

Nallui pouted and moved forward to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing her face right into his own, squishing their cheeks together. " _Killu_ ~" she whined. "Are you denying your onee-chan such a riveting love story?"

"Are you kidding? _Obviously_. It sounds awful."

"You're no fun!" she teased, sticking her tongue out.

She turned instead to Gon, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "What about you, Gon-kun?" She moved closer to the dark-haired boy and fluttered her lashes. "Though, perhaps you're the type of man to just take what he wants like Hades, _hm_?"

Nallui yelped like a disgruntled cat when she was suddenly yanked back and into a smaller pair of arms. They wrapped themselves around her waist in an iron grip. She turned her face to see Killua's narrowed, unimpressed stare.

"Stop that."

"Stop what?" she asked slyly.

"Stop teasing him. He's too dumb to realise that you're flirting," he said bluntly.

Nallui cocked her head to the side, letting it rest upon her brother's small shoulder as she stared back at Gon, who was watching both siblings with calm, golden eyes.

"Maybe it's not that he doesn't know and more that it's the wrong Zoldyck doing the flirting," she said, wiggling her brows suggestively.

Killua slapped a hand against her mouth to stop her words from making the situation any worse. Nallui's giggles were muffled, but Gon just continued watching them with that innocent smile of his and Killua sighed in relief at his friend's simple-mindedness.

Though he squawked when he felt a hot, wet sensation against his hand and pulled it away from his sister's mouth, looking at her as though betrayed. Nallui licked her lips with a grin, unrepentant for her childish actions.

"Where did you hear that story, Nallu-nee? Did somebody tell it to you?"

Gon's question stopped the two siblings’ squabbling; both of them blinking at the sudden change in topic.

"Hmm, no. I read it in a book during one of my missions."

"Oh?" Killua asked, as always interested in her work.

While he may not wish to be an assassin himself anymore, he always felt pride at his sister's accomplishments, no matter how dark or misguided.

"It was easy enough, just a simple assassination of some bigshot tycoon. They didn't even want it to be clean, either, preferring to cause a scandal and what-not. _Anyway_ , this left me plenty of time to go rooting through his many bookshelves!" she grinned, impressed at her ingenuity.

"Are there any more stories like that one?" Gon asked in excitement.

"Sure are," Nallui grinned. "I still have the book at home, as I figured the dead have no need of intriguing literature – so why not help myself?”

Killua snickered while Gon grinned – interrupted by a long, drawn-out yawn. Glancing at the clock and seeing just how late it had gotten, Nallui clapped her hands. “I believe it is time we get some sleep. I have high hopes for the both of you tomorrow.”

Both boys grinned, excitement at starting their training journey evident in a true childish manner. They followed her words without fuss and before long, Nallui was settled comfortably on her bed, head cushioned on her arms as she stared up at the ceiling.

 _Goodnight, Illu-nii – Goodnight, Millu, Kallu, Allu…_ She turned her head minutely, gazing at the tuft of white hair visible on the bed beside her. _Goodnight, Killu…_


	17. Adapting Personalities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to upload something even if it isn't much, sorry for the two-month break, University exams were intense!  
> I've been getting lots of positive comments recently, and I want you to know I appreciate them SO much! They're what motivated me to bang this out in under an hour - so thank you very much! 
> 
> I plan on writing a fight scene next chapter, and the re-introduction of Hisoka who will flirt incessantly with his koneko-chan and annoy Killua ;)

The body fell to the floor, almost lifeless. The man’s face was deathly pale, as though in his final moments of consciousness he’d been witness to his worst nightmare while his body was adorned in thin, yet precise cuts. All of them were shallow enough to be considered superficial, if not for the sheer quantity. It was clear, whoever had dealt them intended on keeping the man alive and instead, wished to only play with their prey.

Cheers rang throughout the arena as the crowd went wild, whooping and shouting their admiration for the single figure that stood on the stage below. A lithe frame adorned in a pale blue cheongsam, white hair falling behind them like a sheet of pure silk.

Killua and Gon watched from the crowd above as Nallui’s red lips twisted into a satisfied smirk at her easy success. “Wow!” Gon exclaimed, eyes sparkling as he looked at the woman. “Nallu-nee is so strong!”

“She barely tried,” Killua muttered, purposely ignoring the tinge of annoyance at hearing the endearing nickname. He narrowed his eyes down at his sister. “She was toying with him.”

“ _Ehh?_ Why would she do that?” Gon asked, innocent.

“Because it isn’t fun otherwise.”

“Fun, huh? I guess when you’re as strong as Nallu-nee it must be boring fighting lots of weak people,” Gon assumed.

“Onee-san never loses, so it’s not surprising she tries to find ways to make it interesting.”

“She never loses?” Gon said with wide eyes. The crowd around them continued to cheer at the amazing fight they’d just witnessed. At the performance Nallui managed to seamlessly weave.

Killua was silent as he thought, his mind drifting back to the rare moments at the Zoldyck home when all of the siblings had been forced to train together. Silva had believed that the best way to improve their talents was to encourage an underlying rivalry between the children, with all of them vying for the top spot. However, what he didn’t intend was for the three youngest, Milluki, Killua and Kalluto to watch their eldest siblings fight with a deep sense of admiration and respect. Rather than breed an uncurrent of resentment or competitiveness, the sessions only cemented the fact that none of them was up to par with the twins’ skillset.

Both of them moved fluidly, like two snakes in battle – their bodies would entwine and grapple, flexibility and speed their best assets in the stalemate that was their raw power. Neither seemed to hold dominion over the other for long. If one managed to stay on top, they were soon toppled by a sneak attack from below, evening the playing field once more. Truly, they were evenly matched, and in the many years that spanned these ‘training’ sessions, the youngest Zoldyck children witnessed not one winner between the two.

“The only person that would stand a chance would be Aniki.”

“Illumi, right?” Gon turned his sight back to Nallui, who had collected her winning ticket and was now walking towards the exit. Both boys stood and made their way between the cramped bodies and towards the door in order to meet her. “Your brother is scary, Killua!”

The white-haired boy snorted, a complicated expression darkening his face. “Trust me, _I know_.”

Soon, they met up with the eldest of their group, who welcomed them with a beautiful smile. “My, my. Did you two enjoy the fight? I have to admit, it was rather lacklustre. Perhaps I should have taken up the offer to skip straight to the top.” She pursed her lips in thought. “I wonder the kind of strength that may be hiding from me up there…”

Her musings were interrupted by the loud rumbling of a stomach, and both Zoldycks looked toward Gon with matching blank expressions. The boy laughed sheepishly, rubbing his stomach that had growled so monstrously. “Sorry! It’s just been _sooo_ long since breakfast!” he complained.

“It’s barely noon,” Nallui said deadpan.

“We ate at ten,” Killua followed.

“I know!” Gon whined petulantly. “But we had to leave before I managed to get seconds and now I’m _huuuuuungry_!”

Chuckling at his childish manners, Nallui produced the white ticket she had received, waving it between slim fingers. “Well, then it's good luck I have this, isn’t it?”

Both boys peered in closer to take a look and their eyes widened comically at the number displayed on the paper. “Woahhh…” they said in unison. The amount on the sheet was insane, and Gon didn’t think he had ever seen a number with so many zeros!

“Where did you get this, Nallu-nee?” he asked, starry-eyed.

She chuckled darkly, chuffed at their excitement. Her smile was smug. “ _Fufufu_ – this is the reward for my talents. An all-inclusive room on the fiftieth floor and monetary compensation for my humble decision to start the arena on such a _low level_.”

Killua was deadpan at her shameless bragging, but Gon was the complete opposite. He was jumping up and down in joy, the excitement radiating off of him in waves. He was practically sparkling at the promise of good sleep and an even better room!

“Let’s go, Nallu-nee! Let’s go, let’s go! Food, food, _fooood_ ~!” Gon cheered to himself, dancing on the spot while caught up in his daydreams of a life of luxury. The girl hummed in amusement, turning to regard her brother.

“Are you hungry, Killu?” she asked, daring to run a hand through his thick white locks. Usually, the boy would shake her off, embarrassed at her intimate actions. Only Kalluto and Alluka openly preened under her attention, but for once, Killua stayed put and allowed her nails to scratch against his scalp without fuss. “Onee-san will treat you to whatever you want.”

“No need,” he mumbled, averting his eyes and pursing his lips a little. “I have my own winnings.”

“Hmm? But why not save those and let your big sister treat you instead? Or perhaps you want me to buy you choco-robots? Onee-san will get you as many as you want.”

“I don’t need you to pay for me. I’m old enough to pay for myself.”

“Oya? Since when?” she asked, amusement shining in her eyes. Her hands gripped his hair a little tighter, the stinging of his scalp sending a shock down his spine. “Has my little boy become a man without me realising?”

Her teasing caused pink to dust against his porcelain cheeks and he huffed, blowing the hair from his eyes. He stared at Gon, who was rambling about all of the food he was going to order, completely oblivious to the pair.

“Stop it,” he admonished her. Finally, he managed to gather the courage to look her in the eyes. His voice was uncharacteristically stern and was underlined in a sense of command. “I’m not a child anymore. I can look after myself… and I can look after _you_ , too.”

Surprised and a little taken aback, Nallui was, for once, speechless.

Since when had her little brother been harbouring such confidence? How long had he been building up a backbone that allowed him to say such serious things with the utmost confidence behind his eyes? _Oh my… is it happening faster than I could have imagined?_ Her body felt alight, the blood in her veins burning with an intensity beyond her imagination. _Illu-ni, our little boy is already beginning to break out from his shell. Tearing it apart with his own bare hands, forcing it to mould to his will or perish in his wake._

A pink tongue peeked out to wet her suddenly dry lips and quite suddenly, the girl lowered herself so that she came face to face with her little brother. Now it was Killua’s turn to be startled. He grit his teeth determined to stand his ground. If he wanted to prove anything to his sister, then he couldn’t show any sign of weakness – any sliver of hesitation or doubt.

Grabbing the boy’s face with a single hand, her fingers wrapping around to clutch the back of his neck, sharp nails shallowly piercing the sensitive skin. He could feel hot breath fanning from between her lips and struggled to swallow lest he choke on her intoxication. Blue met pure black, and Killua felt like he would be consumed completely by those depths.

“If you’re a man now, then are you prepared to step up to the role?” she whispered. “We’re the only Zoldycks here, Killu. And we both know a woman cannot possibly hope to lead us to the prosperity we deserve.”

Her words were a complete lie, but Killua was not blind to her masochistic desires when it came to his oldest brother. While his sister was undoubtedly strong – strong enough to tame a monster like Illumi, to wrap him around her delicate little finger – she seemed to enjoy playing the role of delicate maiden when it came to the men in her life. To adopt a mentality of submission and a seductive surrender of control.

She enjoyed making the men in her life think they were in control of her autonomy, while in reality, she was the master of their strings, pulling and tugging to the tune of her whimsy.

“Are you going to take your Aniki’s place, Killu? If he’s not here, then how am I supposed to carry on, hm? You know how much I need the comfort of my beloved siblings to survive.” The sweet words dripped like honey from her lips, disguising the lethal poison. “I think I’ll go insane without my precious Illu-ni to keep me company. Will you take up the responsibility, _Otouto_?”

His brain short-circuited and with the rational part of his mind that was not frazzled from her close proximity or enchanting words, Killua regretted ever thinking he could play her game. They were never equals when it came to mind games like these – nobody was. His brother fell for Nallui’s honeyed words like a fool and so, what did that make him?

Killua was the biggest fool, but he could never come to resent her for it. If he was going to be the fool, then what else did he have to lose? For once in his life, he was alone with his sister. There were no other siblings to fight with, nobody else to compete for her attention. While Killua knew he was the apple of his sister’s eye, he also knew that she cared deeply for all of their siblings. She humoured their incessant desires and the metaphorical tugging on her sleeves for a sliver of attention, but for once – Killua was alone with her.

_He was alone with Nallui._

Could he really pass up this opportunity? The stirrings of confidence began to return to him and with the backbone that Nallui had so effortlessly chipped away at, he opened his mouth and spoke the words he never thought he’d be brave enough to.

“You don’t need Aniki. I will look after you.” He steeled himself, pulling back from her hold and turning towards Gon, but not before meeting her dark eyes resolutely. He made sure he spoke the words slowly, and with enough steel that she was forced to listen.

“Forget about him and focus only on me. That’s an _order_.”

He walked away, pulling Gon into a headlock in order to shut him up before he caused even more of a scene. Nallui stayed completely still while her body absolutely _burned_ beneath her skin. The fingers of her left hand twitched intermittently with the struggle to rein in her emotions – to hold back the Nen that threatened to leave her body all at once, like a nuclear bomb of restrained desire. Heavy breaths left parted lips and her ears felt like they were ringing, the only sound she was able to hear the pounding of her own heart.

 _An order? Her precious, darling, wonderful Killu had finally given her an order of his own violation – and what a sinfully selfish order it was!_ To focus only on him…my, my, how the lines were blurring between the two brothers. This was an order Illumi would give her, possessive of her every second and demanding that they all be dedicated solely to him. But it was _Killua_ who had spoken the words, and Nallui cocked her head as she watched the boy berate his friend, frozen on the spot.

Blue eyes turned her way for barely a second, witnessing the state she was in – how his simple words had rendered the powerful and deadly woman absolutely frozen - and a smug smile quirked upon his lips before he turned back with self-satisfied confidence to his demeanour.

_Focus only on me. That’s an order._

Lips twitching into a deranged, sadistic smile, Nallui’s dark eyes almost spun in a void of deep satisfaction. Her throat tightened with the desire to purr at the series of events that had transpired. Her body thrummed with ravenous energy and her fingers ached in an eagerness to claw at her debauched cravings.

_Such an easy order you demand of me, Killu… my eyes will never stray. Of that, I can promise._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nallui is as degenerate as always. I love her.


	18. an intimate toxicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok first - I'm SO SORRY AGAIN for not delivering on the Nallui/Hisoka fight scene. BUT, I wanted to upload something sooner rather than make you all wait a month for the whole scene, so, please enjoy this chapter whilst I work on the fight!!
> 
> Now, thank you for the multitude of supportive comments - they ignite a fire in me and make me smile so much!! Thank you to you all! //~◡~\\\

The days passed as quickly as the clouds drifted through the sky. Dark eyes gazed out of the wall-length window, the marble bar-top supported her arm while a delicate white palm was where she rest her chin as she stared mindlessly at the city below. People went about their daily lives, oblivious to the calculating predator that gazed down at them, stalking their movements. They were like ants to her, tiny little specks scurrying along the sidewalk, so tiny and inconsequential that with the slightest flick of her finger she could erase them from existence.

“Oya, oya…you look so consumed in your thoughts, I’m almost jealous.”

White lashes fluttered as her eyes slowly travelled from the scene below towards the figure that embodied the carnivalesque. The man wore a deep smirk, golden eyes unabashedly trailing across the expanse of smooth porcelain skin revealed from the slit of her cheongsam, her legs crossed elegantly.

“Hisoka,” she addressed him blankly, blinking languidly as she took in his sudden appearance. The magician had gotten much better at sneaking up on her, wrapping his aura so tightly around himself that it had become undetectable. _How interesting_. “What are you doing here?”

“My, my, how cold you are to me my Koneko-chan,” he said, sliding up beside her. She remained seated, and so he towered over her as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “I thought we were closer than that. Won’t you call me a little sweeter from those pretty lips?”

A hand had come to cup her chin, daring to act so intimately, almost anticipating the savage response with bated breath. Instead, Nallui opened her mouth to reveal a pretty pink tongue, which coated her lips in a wet, glistening shine.

“What are you doing here, _Hiso-chan_?”

Hisoka practically purred at her words, long nails biting into the soft skin of her jaw. His hands twitched to restrain himself from crushing that delicate face, to paint his nails in the warm crimson of her blood. He was parched and wanted to relieve himself by lapping up the glistening saliva that coated plush, pink lips.

“You’re thinking _bad_ thoughts, Hiso-chan. I’d be careful if I were you, or else who knows who you might offend,” she warned lowly, her thumb coming to wipe the corner of his lips in a mocking display of concern. “So little control, it’s almost pitiful,” she mocked. “You’re practically salivating already. How _disgusting_. I think you need some discipline.”

Hisoka didn’t waste a second and turned his face to take the thumb into his mouth, sucking it between his lips provocatively. Sharp teeth bit down rather forcefully, causing Nallui’s eyes to narrow dangerously.

“Do you discipline Illumi, Koneko-chan? How lucky of him, I’m rather envious, you know. How fortunate he is to be _born_ with such a woman in his life.” His voice was muffled a little from his salacious actions, but the mischief in his eyes spoke louder than his words.

Nallui tutted distastefully and pressed her thumb down hard against the flat base of his tongue, forcing his mouth to part, saliva gathering from the force. Her strength had even forced the magician to sit on the chair beside her, lest he fall onto the floor. It was a lewd image mostly obscured from those around them as Nallui moved closer to meet his eyes, her hair falling to hide them from sight like a silk screen.

“ _Children_ are disciplined, Hiso-chan, when they are being naughty. What Illu-ni and I do is none of your concern. However, I can assure you that I like to enforce _obedience_ from those around me. Whether that be achieved through force, depends on the person.”

A manicured hand wrapped around her thin wrist, though not to escape her clutches but instead to pull her hand closer, almost forcing her thumb deeper inside of his mouth. She felt her nail scratch the back of his throat and tried to ignore the deep throb that echoed within her core. The energy around them both was charged; heady with repressed, lustful frustrations.

“ _Shameless_. How wanton,” she muttered, purposefully berating him for his brazen actions. She couldn’t quite believe that the cold and calculating man she had met before possessed such a provocatively compliant side to him. It set her blood boiling and she could not repress the desire to push _further_.

However, before she had the chance to satiate her sadistic appetite, they were interrupted by a deadly calm voice.

“Onee-san, what’s going on?”

Black and gold eyes moved to regard the new faces in unison, recognising Killua and Gon. The former looked annoyed and slightly disgusted at the sight in front of him, while Gon looked on wide-eyed, as innocently confused as always at the tension he could sense in the air.

“Killu,” Nallui purred, her voice heady from the intoxication only moments prior. The sound soured the boys' mood and he clenched his teeth as he took in the intimate pose they were caught in. “Did you both have fun?” she asked with a lazy smile.

“It was great! We met a frien-”

“What are you doing?” Killua interrupted Gon’s excited rant rather rudely, narrowing his eyes at the magician.

Hisoka recognised the same jealously and anger in the boy’s eyes as he regularly saw in Illumi’s and couldn’t help the dark amusement from leaving his lips.

“ _Fufufu_ \- it looks like our bubble of fun has been burst, Koneko-chan,” he regarded the two boys with sly eyes. “The children have returned.” Cupping the curve of her cheek in his hand, the magician smirked languidly, feeling the mischief urging him to cause even more chaos. “Mother and father need to stop before we scar their innocent eyes.”

“Don’t be facetious,” she said blandly, slapping his hand away from her face before standing from her chair.

She brushed down the wrinkles in her cheongsam, ignoring the sensual gaze upon the bare skin of her legs. She walked towards them both, interested in the snippet Gon had almost let out. “Who’s this friend you spoke of, Gon-kun?”

“His name is Zushi and he’s super strong and he defeated all of his opponents just like us! And he led us to this man called Wing who’s going to teach us Nen so that we can become even stronger!”

Nallui blinked multiple times at the boy’s abundant barrage of information, he barely took a breath between each word, too eager to blurt it all out in his excitement. She watched through narrowed eyes as Killua elbowed him in the ribs, scowling.

“ _Nen_?” Hisoka murmured lowly, a cruel smile curling his lips. “Oh my, are the children learning the adult tricks now?” his eyes turned to regard Nallui, who was still silent, having a staring match with Killua. “I’m surprised the mini Zoldyck doesn’t already know about Nen. Why is that, Koneko-chan? _Hm_?”

Nallui continued to stare straight at Killua, who looked upset and frustrated. His lips were pursed, a classic sign of his distasteful thoughts. Her jaw strained from the force of keeping it clamped shut, she was angry at being forced into a position she hadn’t planned. Her mind whirred with a thousand different ways this scenario could play out and how many of them would result in a favourable outcome.

If there were any chances it wouldn’t, then she would force it to. Bend reality to her tastes if need be.

Between clenched teeth she spoke slowly, her words barely audible. “Father believed it was not the right time. He advised us to wait until introducing Nen to the training regime.”

Her voice was monotonous as she recalled the old orders from Silva, the distaste evident in her tone while her eyes glazed over like she were dissociating from the memory. “I argued against it, of course. The head of the Zoldyck family should not have a weakness against their enemies,” this was said directed at Killua himself, her tone warming in an attempt to endear her brother to the honesty of her words.

“Why did you not teach me in secret, then?” Killua demanded, uncaring of their audience.

His emotions were blinding; ever since the two had been led to Wing’s suite room and learnt the secrets of Nen, the barrage of doubt and loathing in his mind had not stopped.

Buzzing around like an incessant bug, unable to resist the light of truth. Had his sister really kept something so big from him all this time? Was this why both his eldest siblings were so strong? So unbeatable? Sure, in moments of training he had seen them use unusual or unexplainable abilities, but in his naïve mind which succumbed to bouts of willful ignorance, their talents had seemed commonplace.

To Killua, the raw truth was that Illumi and Nallui were the strongest force in his world. To think – to accept – that this power was possibly available to him…was an addictive prospect.

His mind flashed back to the sheer terror he’d felt when Wing had released his aura upon the room. The way his body had moved instinctually to the furthest corner of the room to escape any potential danger. It was humiliating, _degrading_ in so many ways. Killua wanted the power to overcome this weakness. He _needed_ it.

Nallui still had not answered him and so he steeled his resolve and spoke again. “Tell me. I’m _ordering_ you to tell me.”

Like a flash of lightning set fire throughout her body, the girl stepped closer and cupped his face within her hands. Their faces were almost pressed together, the tip of her nose barely touching his. Her gaze was intense. Dangerous.

“I never intended to keep this from you for long, Killu. Once mother and father were taken care of I planned to teach you everything you would need. I’d give you _anything_ – all the power in the world.” She kept the part where he would be so protected by herself and Illumi that he wouldn’t _need_ to defend himself quiet, realising that would not be an appreciated sentiment. “Your aptitude for Nen will be limitless, and I’ve craved more than anything to cultivate it.”

Killua looked like he was slowly coming round to understanding her thoughts, the honeyed words melting his anxieties. His frustrations. Staring into her dark eyes, watching the way the white lashes kissed her cheeks each time she blinked, he felt the innate inability to deny her anything begin to settle.

Perhaps he was more like his brother than he cared to admit.

He _had_ said he would take care of her, hadn’t he? Had assured so confidently and with arrogance that she should forget about their brother and focus solely on him. What was he doing, acting like a child after spouting such presumptuous claims?

“Killu,” she cooed. “You believe me, don’t you? Do you want your Onee-san to prove it to you? Hm? Want me to prove my devotion to you or punish myself for keeping secrets from you?” Her tone had become slightly hysterical, an edge of insanity as she became more irate. “I’ll accept any punishment, _darling_.” Her lips brushed against his ear, hot breath dampening the skin. “I’ll let you punish me yourself.”

“Stop!” he finally snapped.

All at once, the girl pulled back, cocking her head to the side like a confused animal. Hisoka and Gon had been watching it all play out, the former with a crazed grin on his face, enjoying the show the girl was putting on, while Gon simply looked concerned, worried that the siblings were having an argument. He didn’t like it when those around him didn’t get along.

“Stop it,” Killua repeated in a softer tone. “I don’t want you to punish yourself,” he said, purposefully ignoring the darker part of his mind that flashed to thoughts of _punishing_ _her_ himself. “But I do know how you can make it up to me.”

“Tell me,” she said with a wide smile, her earlier frenzy completely forgotten. Sometimes, it was scary how quickly she could switch emotions. It only proved how damaged his sister really was. “I’ll do _anything_ for you.”

“Teach me everything you know about Nen,” he said. He debated on whether or not to say his next words, but settled on his decision when he remembered the promise his sister had given him. “That’s an order, Onee-san. Teach me to use Nen.”

Licking suddenly dry lips, Nallui’s face stretched to accommodate a large grin. “ _My pleasure_ ,” she purred, looking at her brother through heavy-lidded eyes.

The bar she had been waiting in whilst the boys completed their scheduled fights had housed only a couple of customers when she had arrived, but now the room was completely empty bar the four of them. This meant that when Hisoka spoke a rather ill-timed provocation, nobody but the boys and the magician himself were witness to the utter rage that oozed from the girl.

“Teaching them to ripen even faster, darling?” he purred, eyeing Killua and Gon with a shrewd and dangerous glint in his eyes. “Ready for me to _pluck_ and _consume_.”

The air thickened almost immediately, and three pairs of eyes strayed to Nallui, who stared at the red-head with wide, unblinking eyes. The inky darkness was completely devoid of substance, a horrifying soullessness that threatened to drag them all in like a black hole. A vacuum of pure dread.

“Hisoka,” she spoke his full name slowly, no sign of the fond nickname she so sufferingly used – no, her tone was flat and dry, not a shred of emotion heard.

That did not mean that her true emotions were not clear, however, as the aura spilling endlessly from her form spoke volumes. It was unexplainably heavy and caused the two younger boys to stagger from the weight of it. It felt like a cloak of led had been thrown over them, the weight of her disgust turned tangible.

“I believe I warned you once that you are to keep your eyes away from my brother.”

“ _Really_?” he murmured with a sly smile, slowly edging closer to bathe himself in her lethal aura. “I don’t seem to remember such sage words, my sweet Koneko-chan.”

“Liar,” she sang lowly, unamused despite the tone. “Then, let me remind you. I promised that, should you so much as _think_ about actualising the perverse thoughts that fill your mind then I would gladly and with the utmost joy, _eviscerate you_.”

“If you carry on threatening me in such an erotic manner I may just lose control.” Hisoka said in a breathless whisper.

One of his arms had come to wrap around her neck whilst the other snaked its way around her waist. He pulled her flush to his body, so that her thigh was pressed up against the tangible evidence of his excitement. “Your passion ignites a fire in me. It fills my mind with such _filthy_ , _obscene_ thoughts.” At her stony silence, the redhead carried on. “Just look at what you’ve done to me, look at how my body reacts.”

Nallui, rather suddenly, moved forward so that their lips were barely a breath apart, shocking both boys watching the scene play out. Killua opened his mouth in order to shout at his sister to stop, wanting even less to see her kiss this creepy clown than when she kissed his brother. He felt a shudder run down his spine at his own thoughts.

_It was a cold day in hell when he disliked somebody more than his own brother, and the shudder down his spine certainly left a chill._

However, Nallui did not intend in kissing the redhead, but practically purred her next words low enough that he could barely hear them, breathing them into the magician’s mouth.

“I’ll show you a reaction,” she whispered, before Hisoka let out a grunt of pain as he fell to his knees, golden eyes widening in abject surprise at being toppled so easily. His body had moved on its own, the autonomy of his limbs snatched away from him when he’d least expected it. Like a puppet, his strings had been controlled by someone not himself.

He looked up at Nallui, curiosity shining his gaze until he noticed the shimmering crimson around her right hand, drenched in her sickly-sweet Nen. Despite his rather humiliating position, Hisoka was not built for housing any shame, and so while he may be on his knees he continued to smile in that eerie way, the masochism evident in the taut curl of his lip.

Not one for shame either, Nallui bent down to cup the man’s face in her hand, still soaked in a thick, oozing aura of raw power. It almost crackled in its intensity, warning the magician that should he attempt to fight back, his strings would once again be forcibly pulled.

The sight was a first for the two boys, for Gon, who had never seen somebody so easily dominate Hisoka. The man who had so easily won against him. Nallui was a shining example of true power, and the boy wanted to have a sliver of that for himself. meanwhile, Killua was trembling from a mixture of fear and pure awe. His sister, who so ardently and obsessively preached her love and devotion to him, housed so much raw power within herself, far more than he had ever realised before. It almost made him heady – a little dizzy from the control he had over such a beast.

“I much prefer this position,” Nallui murmured darkly, a smile beginning to curl upon her own lips. “You suit being on your knees, Hiso-chan. Perhaps the next time you have something to say, you should do so like this, and maybe I’ll be more inclined to give you a positive response.”

Hisoka hummed, tongue darting out to wet his lips. “I’ll keep that in mind, _Nallu-chan_.”

It seemed like the mention of her name sent Killua over the edge, as he could no longer stand watching and instead pushed himself in-between them, grabbing his sister’s arm and pulling her closer to himself and away from the magician.

“I’m sick of waiting around. Let’s go, Onee-san.”

“Looks like our times up. _Pity_. Though, it won’t be long until I’ll get to fight you all soon enough,” Hisoka announced.

Gon had finally perked up at that piece of information, his brows furrowing in determination. He walked closer, shadowing Nallui’s other side so that she was now bordered between the two boys.

“When we fight, I will win!” he declared passionately, his eyes burning. “I won’t let you off so easily this time!”

Hisoka’s eyes were as bright as molten gold, awed at the promise of such a delicious fight. “How lucky~ Not only will I be fighting my precious Koneko-chan, but Gon-kun, too? My, my, I need to be careful before I become spoilt.”

“Once the boys reach the top floors,” Nallui agreed with a nod. They had already surpassed what she’d initially believed, but the boys still had a few more matches ahead of them until they would be challenging the likes of Hisoka.

“But not you, right? Our fight will be coming much sooner~”

“Less than a week, I’d estimate.”

“Let’s put on a wonderful show, darling. The audience will be practically frothing at the mouth once they see the kinds of secrets we’ve been keeping close to our chests, hm?” he winked cheekily, purposefully antagonising Killua by reminding the boy that he knew things about Nallui that even her own brother did not. “I hope you won’t disappoint.”

“I no longer have a need to keep anything secret, it seems. _No thanks to you_ ,” she said blandly, looking at the magician in deadpan when he stuck out his tongue childishly, all prior malice removed from his expression.

Hisoka turned to leave, waving his hand lazily. “Well, I know when I’m clearly not wanted anymore.” He chuckled, eyes closed and smug. “I’ll see you soon, Koneko-chan. Bye-bye, Gon-kun, mini-Zoldyck.”

Killua growled in the back of his throat like a cat whose tail had been stood on. Sharp canines visible as his upper lip curled back in a snarl, but Hisoka ignored it easily, walking away with a smarmy smile plastered on his face. Even Gon’s demeanour had turned serious after the promise of a fight.

Effortlessly, Hisoka had managed to sow an energy of determination and retribution in his wake, and Nallui commended the way the magician sauntered through life with such a natural ability. She watched him disappear through the doorway, eyes lingering on the heart and diamond printed in bold red upon his back.

They would fight soon, and she could not deny the morbid excitement that curled in her gut. _Illu-ni, I wish you could watch me absolutely decimate such an uppity clown. And he’d been giving you such a hard time, too. Well, soon enough._

_We’ll be reunited, soon enough._


End file.
